m 


QJ^^  J^L 


*A  *  *  S"""*"  *" 


® 


PRINCETON,    N.    J. 


*S 


Presented  by  Mr   Samuel  Agnew  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Agnciv  Coll.  on  Baptism,  No. 


ISO'S 

tcwt 


i 


*  * 


I 


GBSHR1RA&  KB3KFA£»**^  '  ^ 


J  he  author  of  the  following  essays  has  no  preten- 
sions to  the  advantages  some  suppose  themselves  to 
possess;  by  which,  through  the  vanity  of  their  own 
minds,  and  the  fulsome  adulations  of  their  unthinking 
admirers,  are  often  inflated  with  pride  and  egotism. 
But  while  he  makes  this  concession,  he  does  not 
think  it  needful,  nor  does  he  feel  at  all  disposed,  to 
make  any  disgusting  apology  for  thus  appearing  he- 
fore  the  public. — He  feels  it  to  be  his  unalienable  pri- 
vilege, even  in  a  plain  way,  to  say  with  Elihu,  in  the 
book  of  Job,  **I  also  will  show  mine  opinion."  Yet 
he  hopes  that,  whatever  defects  there  may  be  in  style, 
in  composition,  or  even  grammar,  that  they  are  not 
of  that  description  as  to  obscure  the  sense,  much  less 
to  "darken  counsel  by  worHc_wi«»out  knowledge," 
and  thereby  p^puse  a  good  cause  (by  defective  plead- 
ing) to  the  scorn  of  scorners,  and  contempt  of  the 
contemptuous. 

I  have  not  the  vanity,  nor  am  I  so  ignorant  of 
mankind,  as  to  suppose  that  the  men  of  this  world, 
or  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  will  approbate  what  I 
have  written;  but  as  there  are  some  men  of  plain,  as 
well  as  others  of  refined  understandings,  most  of  whom 
can  relish  nothing  but  the  polish  of  the  schools,  and 
the  charms  of  elegant  composition;  while  the  former, 
if  godly,  have  a  true  taste  for  spiritual  wisdom,  and 
can  readily  excuse  rudeness  in  speech,  so  that  the 
speaker,  or  writer,  is  not  rude  in  knowledge,  or  a 
novice  in  divine  tilings. — For  the  benefit  of  such,  espe- 
cially, I  have  written; — plain  men  need,  and  plain  men 
love  plain  truth. 


IV  PREFACE. 

Therefore,  with  that  measure  of  talent  God  has  be- 
stowed,   and  that   acquaintance   with  the  oracles  of 
God  which  "the  spirit  of  wisdom  and   revelation  in 
the  knowledge  of  Christ,"   has  in   a  long  and  much 
varied  train  of  experience  given  me,  I  have  taken  the 
field,  and  1  may  say,  that  in  the  first  and  last  essay, 
it  is  the  polemic  field.    Some,  no  doubt,  will  think  and 
say,  that  my  polemic  arm  is  weak,  too  weak,  for  the 
conflict,   and  that  I  am  not  armed  aright,  because  In 
plainness   of  speech,   "in   words  easy   to  be  under- 
stood," I  have  endeavoured  to  state,  to  elucidate,  to 
advocate  and   defend,  in  my  first  essay,  one  of  the 
most   important   doctrines  revealed  in  the  word  of 
God,  namely,  the   true  divinity  of  the   Lord  Jesus 
Christ.     A  doctrine  on  which  the  hopes  of  the  truly 
godly,  in  every  age,  have  rested,  or  rather  on  him  of 
whom  the  doctrine  makes  such  an  honorable  and  in- 
teresting report,  and  there  only  a  good  hope  can  rest 
In  the  investigation  and  defence   of  this   truth,  I 
have   chiefly   contented    myself  with  what  God   has 
been  pleased  to  make  known  to  us    on  the  subject, 
judging  that  he  is  infinitely  best  acquainted  with  the 
modus  of  his  own  existence. — 1  have,  therefore,  not 
much   rAgarHpfi    the  depths  of  Satan,  which    some 
men  speak,   who  are  opponents  to  this  all  important 
and   fundamental  truth.     It  will  be  eashy  oo©«  that 
my  object,  in  the  prosecution  of  this  subject,  has  been 
not  only  to  bring  to  view  a  few  of  the  express  testi- 
monies of  scripture,  which  clearly  prove  "the  Word 
was  God"    and  that  "there  are  three  that  bear  re- 
cord in  heaven,  the  Father  9  the  Word,  and  the  Spirit." 
But  in  addition  to  this,  I   have  endeavored  to  shew, 
from  divine   authority,  that    Christ  our  Immanuel, 
possesses  those  incommunicable  perfections,  and  per- 
forms those  stupendous  works,  that  at  once  declare 
his  eternal  power  and  Godhead. — And  in  such  lofty 
views  of  the  author  and  finisher  of  our  faith,   it  be- 
comes the  humble  followers  of  tiie  Lamb,  who  have 
renounced  their  own  wisdom  and  "become  fools  that 


PREFACE.  V 

they  might  be  wise;"  it  becomes  such,  I  say,  to 
"sanctity  the  Lord  of  Hosts  himself,  and  let  him 
(saitb  the  prophet)  be  your  fear,  and  let  him  he  your 
dread:  And  He  (even  the  Lord  of  Hosts  himself)  shall 
be  for  a  sanctuary,  (to  the  humble  and  sensibly  lost 
sinner;")  but  (to  the  self-righteous,  to  the  proud,  to 
those  who  in  their  own  eyes,  are  wise  above  what  is 
written)  "for  a  stone  of  stumbling,  and  rock  of  of- 
fence."    Isa.  viii.  13,  14. 

In  this  essay,  although  I  have  wrote  principally 
for  the  benefit  of  the  humble  disciple,  yet  what  is 
wrote  is  designed  to  bear  on  the  leviathans  and  behe- 
moths of  the  day,  with  a  view  to  shew  them  that 
"they  greatly  err,  not  knowing  the  scriptures,  nor 
the  power  of  God,"  our  Saviour,  in  that  display 
thereof  winch  makes  his  people  willing.  Ps.  ex.  3. 
And  I  should  utterly  despair  of  doing  them  any  good, 
seeing  "the  sword  of  him  that  layeth  at  them  cannot 
hold,"  only  that  I  read  that  "He  who  made  them 
can  cause  his  sword  to  approach  unto  them."  That 
sword,  in  the  present  case,  is  the  sword  which  I  have 
chosen,  and  it  is  none  other  than  his  word,  the  sword 
of  the  Spirit.  Should  that  sword  pierce  between  the 
joints  of  their  harness,  it  will  make  them,  as  Milton 
says  of  Satan,  "writhe  to  and  fro  convolved."  And 
should  that  sword  be  used  in  merry  by  God,  it  will 
subdue  Mem  to  the  obedience  of  the  faith,  "and  to  the 
acknowledgment  of  the  mystery  of  God,  of  the  Fa- 
ther, and  of  Christ,  in  whom  <ire  hid  all  the  treasures 
of  wisdom  and  knowledge,"  and  then  they  will  be 
content  to  "make  mention  of  his  righteousness,  and 
his  only,"  and  say  with  the  prophet,  "This  is  our 
God,  he  will  save  us.     So  may  it  be. — Amen. 

In  my  second  essay  I  have  treated  on  "The  unal- 
terable love  of  God,"  and  especially  as  that  love  is 
displayed  and  made  manifest  *»in  bearing  with,  feel- 
ing for,  and  healing  backsliders!" 

A  most  endearing  subject;  but  it  is  a  subject  too 
much  neglected,  although  the  sacred  page  is  merciful- 
A2 


VI  PREFACE. 

Iy  replete  therewith.  To  this  truth  every  one  who 
knows  the  plague  of  his  own  heart,  will  readily  sub- 
scribe, and  say  with  Mr.  Hart: 

Were  not  thy  love  as  firm  as  free, 

Thou  soon  woulcl'st  take  it,  Lord,  from  me. 

In  this  essay  there  are  some  strong  things  advanc- 
edj  but  I  feel  a  satisfactory  and  happy  conviction, 
that  I  have  not  passed  the  line  of  demarcation  mark- 
ed out  by  the  divine  word.  And  I  hope  and  believe, 
that  what  is  advanced  will  be  found  much  to  the  be- 
nefit (through  a  divine  unction  and  blessing)  of  those 
for  whom  especially  it  was  drawn  up;  and  I  trust  that 
what  1  have  said  is  so  guarded,  that  none  but  the 
whole  hearted  who  are  at  ease  in  Zion,  will  find  any 
thing  of  which  they  will  be  disposed  seriously  to  find 
fault.  That  men  who  "know  not  what  manner  of 
spirit  they  are  of,"  should  find  materials  for  censure, 
will  not  surprise  me;  yet  I  feel  confident  I  have  taken 
no  ground  but  what  is  tenable:  but  for  such  objectors', 
however,  in  this  essay  I  did  not  write,  except  indeed 
to  shew  them  by  contrast,  the  emptiness  of  their  pro- 
fession. 

But  should  such,  or  even  any  of  the  godly,  who 
have  much  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  about  them, 
be  still  disposed  to  object  to  any  thing  here  advanced, 
my  advice  to  such,  or  rather  the  command  of  Chris! 
to  such  is,  "Go  and  learn  what  this  meaneth,  I  will 
have  mercy  and  not  sacrifice."  And  I  wish  all  such 
to  consider  the  last  clause  as  a  command  obligatory 
on  them,  as  well  as  a  gracious  declaration  from  the 
mouth  of  God,  of  what  he  will  do. — As  a  command  it 
enjoins  that  such  should  not  sacrifice  the  comfort  and 
reputation  of  others  on  the  altar  of  their  self-rightc- 
ousi.ess,  but  rather  exercise  mere?)  towards  them, 
"considering  themselves  also  in  the  flesh,*  and  "bear 
each  others  burdens  and  so  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ; 
who  will  have  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy. 
and  shew  compassion  to  whom  he  will  shew  compas- 


PREFACE.  Vll 

sion;"  even  although,  like  the  elder  brother  in  the 
parable,  some  should  complain  that  comparative  ne- 
glect has  been  shewn  to  their  superior  correctness. 
*'(  never"  (say  such)  "transgressed  thy  will  at  any 
time,  vet  thou  never  gavest  me  a  kid."  What  arro- 
gance! Cut  the  kind  Father  whose  heart  overflowed 
with  parental  tenderness,  says,  "it  was  meet  that  we 
should  make  merry,  for  this  my  son,  was  dead,  and 
is  alive,  was  lost,  and  is  found." — Go  thou  reader  and 
do  likewise. 

In  the.  third  and  last  essay,  I  have  endeavored  to 
state,  elucidate  and  defend,  a  divinely  instituted  or- 
dinance of  tfae  church  of  Christ,  or  of  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation, and  so  to  meet  and  refute  the  arguments, 
and  oppose  the  false  reasonings  oPgdinsaijers,  as  may 
help  to  inform  and  establish  the  weak  and  the  waver- 
ing of  the  flock  of  Christ,  and  furnish  them  with  that 
with  which  they  may  "answer  those  who  trouble 
them;"  and  this  1  trust  will  be  found  to  be  the  tenden- 
cy and  happy  effect  of  each  and  all  of  the  following 
essavs. 

^  What  little  I  have  done  I  endeavoured  to  do  as  well, 
that  is,  as  correct  as  I  could,  and  it  is  no  grief  of  heart 
to  me,  arid  1  believe  it  will  be  no  loss  to  my  readers, 
that  it  is  "not  with  excellency  of  speech,  not  with  en- 
ticing words  of  man's  wisdom,  not  in  the  words 
which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,"  but  [  trust  it  is  in 
those  words  "which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth."  1  Cor. 
ii.  l.  4.  13.  thereby  commending  what  I  have  wrote, 
not  to  the  skittish  and  wayward  fancy,  but  to  the 
conscience  of  every  man  in  the  sight  of  God,  by  a 
manifestation  of  the  truth. 

One  thing  has  been  scrupulously  kept  in  view  in 
these  essays,  namely,  to  state  and  defend  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Christ,  and  to  advocate  a  positive  institu- 
tion of  the  head  of  the  church,  both  as  it  respects  the 
subject,  the  mode,  and  the  design,  in  the  words  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth,  as  much  so,  at  least,  as  my 
acquaintance  with,  and  recollection  of,  the  lively  ora- 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

cles  and  the  Spirit's  teaching,  has  enabled  me,  and 
I  fee]  a  satisfactory  consciousness,  that  my  object,  in 
each  attempt,  has  been  to  promote  the  divine  glory 
and  human  happiness,  by  pleading  for  truth,  and  by 
opposing  error;  and  that  in  so  doing  I  have  adduced 
no  passage  of  scripture,  nor  have  I  used  any  argu- 
ment, or  adopted  any  mode  of  reasoning,  to  refute 
what  I  hold  an  error,  or  to  establish  what  I  believe 
to  be  truth,  but  such  as  I  verily  believed  bore  directly 
on  the  subject  under  discussion;  and  I  trust  that  a 
conviction  of  these  facts  in  the  perusal  of  these  es- 
says, will  pervade  the  minds  of  the  readers. 

When  a  more  than  ordinary  zeal  is  manifested, 
and  talents  of  various  grades  are  pressed  into  the 
service,  of  gross  and  dangerous  errors,  and  of  an  un- 
scriptural  practice,  it  behooves  those  who  possess  "one 
Faith,"  who  confess  **  one  Lord,"  and  who  hold  and 
practise  "one  Baptism,"  and  who  profess  generally 
a  love  for  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel — a  correct  ad- 
ministration of  gospel  ordinances,  "esteeming  all 
God's  precepts  concerning  all  things  to  be  right,"  and 
who  hold  it  highly  culpable  to  "teach  for  doctrines 
the  commandments  <>f  men."  It  behooves  all  such,  I 
say,  under  such  circumstances,  to  endeavour  to  guard 
the  fold  of  Christ  against  every  innovation,  every 
thing  calculated  to  beguile  the  unwary,  and  sap  the 
foundation  of  a  poor  sinner's  hope. — To  accomplish 
such  desirable  ends,  the  following  essays  were  pen- 
ned; and  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  appear,  on  a  fair  and 
prayerful  perusal,  that  the  object  aimed  at,  in  the 
last  essay  in  particular,  is  not  to  unchristian,  but  to 
confute;  not  to  reproach,  but  to  convince;  not  toinflame 
with  party  zeal,  but  to  instruct,  to  encourage  and  to 
establish. 

As  l  am  one  of  those  who  are  unknown,  yet  well 
known,  I  have,  contrary  to  my  original  intention, 
prefixed  to  these  essays  a  very  brief  account  of  the 
way  in  which  the  Lord  my  God  has  led  me.  We 
are  commanded  to  call  it  to  mind,  and  if  so,  we  may 


PREFACE.  IX 

surely  record  it  without  just  offence.  The  narrative 
must  speak  for  itself,  I  will  only  say,  it  is  as  correct 
as  my  recollection  will  serve,  so  far  as  it  goes. — I 
will,  therefore,  leave  it  and  the  dedication  that  ac- 
companies it,  with  the  essays  and  myself,  the  unwor- 
thy author,  in  the  hands  of  Him  in  whom  I  live,  who 
hath  said,  "Acknowledge  me  in  all  thy  ways,  and  I 
will  direct  thy  paths." 

THOMAS  LOUD. 


God's  Dealings  with  the  Author  of  the  following  Essays, 


The  following  brief  narrative,  or  rather  epitome, 
of  God's  dealings  with  my  soul,  is  with  considerable 
reluctance  submitted  to  the  press,  (among  other  rea- 
sons,) least  I  should  be  thought  to  obtrude  that  on  my 
readers,  in  which  they  might  judge  themselves  so  re- 
motely, if  at  all,  interested;  and,  also,  least  some  might 
be  disposed  to  charge  me  with  egotism.  To  the  last 
surmise,  if  such  should  exist,  I  will  only  observe, 
that  what  follows  is  not  a  statement  of  any  thing  done 
by  me,  but  of  what  God  has  done  for  me;  and  there- 
fore the  charge  of  egotism  or  self-praise  must  fall  to 
the  ground:  and,  as  to  my  obtruding  on  my  readers 
what  they  may,  perad venture,  judge  of  so  little  worth, 
I  will  only  say,  I  shall  be  sorry  **If  the  turning  of  a 
sinner  from  the  error  of  his  ways,  and  saving  a  soul 
from  death,"  should  be  of  so  small  account  in  the  eyes 
of  any  of  my  readers.  However,  should  the  apathy 
and  indifference  of  the  mass  of  professors  be  such  as 
to  preclude  any  pleasure  or  thankfulness,  on  leading 
such  recitals  of  God's  sovereign  mercy,  we  know  that 
the  angels  in  heaven,  who  can  best  appreciate  the  im- 
portance of  such  things,  rejoice;  and  surely  the  most 
simple,  happy  and  fruitful  of  God's  believing  family, 
who  are  most  solicitous  for  the  spread  of  the  .Redeem- 
er's kingdom,  and  the  salvation  of  perishing  sinners, 
will  rejoice  also — and  while  such  narratives  afford 
matter  of  thankfulness  to  those  who  have  obtained  (as 
the  gift  of  God)  like  precious  faith,  in  the  righteous- 


IS 

ness  of  God  our  Saviour,  it  may  also  be  owned  of  God 
to  some  readers,  to  shew  ti.em  that  their  religion  is 
vain;  that  they  have  only  a  name  to  live,  while,  in 
truth,  they  are  dead;  and,  farther,  it  may  please  a  gra- 
cious God,  by  it  to  encourage  some  one  patiently  to 
wait,  and  quietly  to  hope  for  the  salvation  of  God. 
We  have,  my  readers,  much  superficial  religion,  and 
much  superficial  preaching,  that  has  nothing  in  it 
which  says  to  the  awakened  sinner,  "this  is  the  way, 
walk  ye  in  it;"  nothing  to  comfort  those  that  mourn, 
to  "succour  the  tempted,  to  lift  up  the  hands  that  hang 
down,  to  confirm  the  feeble  knees,  to  say  to  them  that 
are  of  a  fearful  heart,  be  strong,  thy  God  will  come, 
and  he  will  save .thee. "  And  permit  me  here  to  add, 
that  my  fear  is,  that  we  shall  have  no  small  increase 
of  such  preaching,  seeing  churches,  even  Baptist 
churches,  seem  much  disposed  to  set  up  schools,  and 
look  to  schools  for  pastors,  instead  of  looking  directly 
to,  and  depending  on  the  head  of  the  church,  the  Lord 
of  the  harvest,  who  has  promised  pastors  after  his 
own  heart.  But,  no;  that  would  not  comport  with 
the  spirit  of  the  times — a  man  must  now  be  an  elo- 
quent man,  and  an  orator,  a  "master  of  plausible 
speech:'"  though  very  many,  yea,  almost  all  school- 
bred  preachers  are  (with  all  their  acquirements  and 
self-importance)  mere  babes,  to  say  the  best,  in  spir- 
itual knowledge,  and  apparently  almost  total  stran- 
gers to  experimental  theology;  while  the  sciibe,  well 
instructed  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  is  slighted,  and 
though  (professedly)  highly  esteemed  as  a  brother, 
not  allowed  the  use  of  a  pulpit.  These  things  ought 
not  thus  to  be;  it  is  contrary  to  the  genius  of  the  gos- 
pel, dishonorable  to  the  Redeemer,  and  detrimental 
to  the  household  of  faith:  and,  before  I  return  from 
this  digression,  which  was  altogether  unintentional,  I 
must  be  permitted  to  add,  that  the  practice  above  al- 
luded to,  involves  in  it  the  prostitution,  in  some  cases, 
of  the  finest  talents,  and  much  waste  of  valuable  time, 
that  ought  to  be  devoted  to  the  more  immediate  service 


13 

of  the  sanctuary;  and  in  addition  to  that,  much  trea- 
sure is  wa^t,  d  in  stipends,  and  too  frequently  in  the 
support  of  idle  boys,  (railed  pious  youths,)  that  might 
much  better  be  employed  in  erecting  neat  and  com- 
modious   places  of  worship,  and  frugally  supporting 
those  whom  God  has  called,  and  will  yet  call  into  the 
ministry,  making  his  own  selection,  as  lie  sees  good, 
from  among  the  learned  and  the  unlearned,  without 
the  aid  of  colleges.     Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  1  ad- 
vo  ate  ignorance — I  detest  it  in  a  pulpit;  but  many  un- 
learned men  are  wise  in  the  things  of  God;  much  more 
so  than  some  of  their  learned  rivals — Nor  let  it  be  sup- 
posed, that  I  would  cast  a  slight  on  acquired  know- 
ledge— I  admire  it  in  its  place;  but  what  I  mean  this 
philippic  to  bear  on.  and  what  1  mean  to  censure,  is  the 
trade  of  parson  making,  and  what  is  closely  allied  to 
it,  the  trade  of  preaching;  and  were  I  to  indulge  my 
own  feelings,  1  should  not  stop  here,  for  much  more 
might  he  said  on  the  subject,  even  by  me;  for  I  have 
seen  much,  heard  much,  and  observed  much,  very  cen- 
surable in  the  practice  now  inveighed  against — but  I 
must  return  to  that  which  is  more  immediately  before 
me.     I  have  already  supposed  some  instances  of  use- 
fulness to  result  from  the  narrative  to  follow  these  pre- 
liminary r  marks;  such  as  thankfulness  to  God,  warn- 
ing to  the  superficial  professor,  and  encouragement  to 
the  honest  seeker,  'who  is  enquiring  the  way  to  Zion 
with   his  facq  thitherward  "     I   will  now  add,  that, 
peradvent:;?*e,  it  may  dispose  some  to  say,  "Why  per- 
serut    we  him,  seeing  the  root  of  the  matter  is  found 
in  him."     it  will  not  he  denied,  but  that  many  of  the 
children  of  God.  have  left  their  experiem  e  on  record* 
not  for  their   own  praise,   (for  in  truth  it  has  often 
been  to  their  dispraise,)  but  for  the  honor  of  God,  and 
the  benefit  of  men;  but  it  may  be  objected,  that  tliey 
wer<     icn  of  eminence,  and  occupied  conspicuous  sta- 
tions in  the  church,  and  that  the  reverse  is  my  ease; 
(this  is  only  true  in  part.)    Whatever  V,\  y  w  ere,  it  was 
by  the  grace  of  God,  that  they  were  what  they  were; 
B 


14 

they  had  nothing  hut  what  they  had  received.  In 
whatever,  therefore,  they  may  have  differed  from  me, 
they  had  nothing  to  boast  of,  (though  too  many  have 
boasted,  and  do  boast,)  for  a  man  can  receive  nothing, 
worth  his  having,  except  it  he  given  him  from  heaven, 
and  God  giveth  his  gifts  to  every  man,  severally  as  he 
will,  so  that  "lie  who  gathereth  much  hath  nothing 
over,  and  he  that  gathereth  little  hath  no  lack." 
Should  any  be  disposed  to  despise,  or  even  reproach, 
I  hope  I  shall  not  be  greatly  moved — but,  on  the  other 
hand,  should  it  be  rendered  useful,  through  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  for  any  of  the  objects  I  have  before  stat- 
ed, I  hope  I  shall  be  thankful,  and  that  God.  who  re- 
membered me  in  my  low  estate,  and  who  doth  still 
remember  me,  will  be  honored. 

Having  premised  thus  much,  I  shall  proceed,  in  the 
language  of  the  Psalmist,  to  say,  "Com*?  hifher  all 
ye  that  fear  God,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  he  hath  done 
for  my  soul." 

After  the  lapse  of  near  forty  years,  I  find  it  to  be 
somewhat  difficult  to  ascertain  and  state  with  correct- 
ness, the  precise  time  ivhtn^  and  the  particular  cir- 
cumstance by  which  my  attention  was  first  excited  to 
the  all-important  concerns  of  the  soul;  by  what  it  was 
and  when  it  was,  that  I  was  first  stirred  up  to  regard 
the  things  that  make  for  peace.  I  need  hardly  say 
that  my  former  life  was  "according  to  the  course  of 
this  world,  according  to  the  prince  of  the  power  of 
the  air,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  hearts  of 
the  children  of  disobedience.-' 

Being  left  very  young  destitute  of  parental  restraint, 
and  grossly  neglected  in  my  apprenticeship,  I  pursu- 
ed the  corrupt  inclination  of  a  depraved  heart,  and 
fell  under  the  influence  of  wicked  example,  to  the  full 
extent  that  means  and  years  permitted.  But  God, 
who  watched  over  me  for  good,  and  preserved  me  in 
Christ,  from  destruction,  while  I  was  avowedly  his 
enemy,  was  pleased  to  make  me  feel  something  of  the 
fruit  of  my  doings,  by  suffering  me  to  be  entangled,  I 


15 

w  ill  not  say  by  the  trammels  of  justice,  but  by  those  of 
ii'jiisth  e.  I  mean  the  Impress  laws  of  Great  Britain; 
through  which  I  became  an  inhabitant  of  an  English 
man  of  war,  which,  to  say  the  least  of,  is  an  awful 
school  of  vice;  (though  I  believe  that  the  public  snipe 
of  some  nations  are,  if  possible,  much  worse,  where 
crimes  of  the  worst  character  are  almost  licensed, 
that  would  be  punished  with  death  in  an  English  or 
American  ship  of  war.)  But,  to  return:  after  suffer- 
ing much  in  circumstances  so  dissimilar  to  my  former 
habits,  I  became  a  prisoner  of  war,  in  the  town  of 
Trenton,  New-Jersey,  in  the  year  1782,  where  I  had 
some  very  serious  convictions  of  sin,  occasioned  by 
visits  paid  to  two  poor  men  in  the  same  prison  under 
sentence  of  death,  (who  were  mercifully  reprieved  un- 
der the  gallows.)  Ifelt  myself  to  be  far  more  misera- 
ble than  they  appeared  to  be,  and  had  it  been  possible, 
would  gladly  have  stood  in  their  place,  as  they  appear- 
ed to  cherish  a  lively  and  happy  hope,  that  their  sins 
were  forgiven,  and  an  expectation  of  being  received  in- 
to everlasting  rest,  while  I  was  the  subject  of  a  fearful 
looking  for  of  judgment:  but,  though  I  can  hardly 
think  that  my  convictions  were  of  a  spiritual  nature, 
or  such  as  constitute  the  beginnings  of  a  good  work 
of  grace — yet  I  did  not  entirely  lose  them,  in  the 
midst  of  much  wickedness,  in  myself  and  my  compan- 
ions in  captivity;  and  when  I  was  exchanged,  and  re- 
stored to  my  native  country,  (which  took  place  in  the 
spring  of  1783,)  I  was  induced,  from  what  I  had  been  led 
to  discover  of  my  sins,  to  frequent  the  church  much  more 
than  is  usual  with  men  in  such  circumstances.  The 
love  of  sin  strove  successfully  to  lead  me  to  the  com- 
mission of  much  evil,  and  the  fear  of  wrath  dragged 
me  to  pay  some  occasional  attention  to  the  form  of 
godliness,  though  only  the  form,  without  the  power, 
both  in  myself  and  those  among  whom  I  generally  met. 
But  that  God  who  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel 
of  his  own  will,  and  brings  about  lis  designs  of  mer- 
cy by  what  means  and  circumstances  he  pleases,  was 


1(5 

pleased  so  to  order  it,  that,  being  in  company  with 
some  fellow  workmen  who  were  professors  of  religion, 
in  the  latter  end  of  1783,  I  heard  them  conversing 
about  a  Mr.  Romaine,  who  they  spoke  so  highly  of, 
that  (under  my  then  exercises,^  I  was  induced  to  make 
an  appointment  to  g  >  and  hear  him  on  the  next  Lord's 
day;  and  I  found  him  to  he  as  they  described  him, 
and,  to  speak  in  their  language,  "a  wonderful  man;" 
for  even  then,  blind  as  I  was,  I  discovered  something 
in  his  preaching  suited  to  my  case;  for  I  had  been  led 
to  discover  enough,  as  I  have  already  premised,  to  con- 
vince me  that  I  was  in  many,  very  many  things,  a 
foul  sinner — though  as  to  the  depravity  of  my  nature, 
I  had  no  just  conception  of  it,  ^any  more  than  I  had 
of  the  way  of  life;)  the  fountain  of  the  great  deep,  (so 
to  speak)  was  not  broken  up — I  knew  not  the  plague 
of  my  heart,  and  thought  reformation  was  in  my  own 
power,  and  vainly  judged  that  was  sufficient,  though 
I  could  make  no  progress  in  breaking  off  my  sins  by 
righteousness,  though  I  strove,  and  strove  hard,  to 
accomplish  it.  But  headstrong  lusts  are  not  thus  to  be 
tamed;  inveterate  disease  is  not  thus  to  be  cured;  a 
deep  seated  leprosy  is  not  thus  to  be  eradicated; 

"For  the  more  I  strove  against  their  power, 
I  sinn'd  and  stumbled  but  the  mere." 

But  now  under  the  gospel,  as  preached  by  Mr.  Ro- 
maine, God  was  pleased  to  make  known  to  me  what 
before  I  was  a  stranger  to;  and,  strange  to  tell,  though 
I  felt  as  if  I  were  tormented  before  my  time,  yet  I 
was  constrained  to  go  again,  and  again,  though  I  felt 
things  to  get  worse  and  worse  with  me:  so  that  with 
increasing  pain,  I  was  made  to  feel,  as  well  as  see,  that 
all  I  did,  or  said,  or  thought,  was  sinful,  exceeding 
sinful,  and  that  the  heart,  the  fountain,  the  spring  of 
all  action,  was  corrupt,  deceitful  abo\e  all  things, 
and  desperately  wicked.  Resolutions,  vows,  oaths, 
and  efforts  of  every  description  were  vain.  I  have, 
under  this  confusion  of  mind  and  distress  of  souk 


even  partook  of  the  memorials  of  Hie  Lord's  (loath; 
thinking,    that,    surely  that  would   he   an   effectual 
preventive  of  sin.     But  no — all  was   as  weak,  as  a 
rope  of  sand,  and  under  these,  feelings  of  depravity 
and  accumulated  guilt,  I  hecame  a  Missihab,  a  terror 
round  about,  a  terror  to  myself.  The  glory  and  great- 
ness of  God  as  displayed  in  the  visible  heavens,  has 
oft  appalled  my  heart,  and  made  it  sink,  as  lead  in  the 
mighty  waters.      And  though  I  did  not  say  in  the 
morning,  would  God  it  were  night,  (fori  dreaded  the 
night.)  yet  I  truly  said  at  night,  would  God  it  were 
morning,  for  I  dreaded  to  close  my  eyes  in  sleep,  lest 
the  pit  of  hell  should  shut  its  mouth  upon  me,  and  oft- 
en when  I  awoke  I  have  been  surprised  to  a  degree  I 
cannot  now  express,  that  I  was  out  of  hell;  and  so 
horribly    keen  were  the  forebodings  of  misery,  that 
I    have,  if  it  be  possible,  wished  to  know  the  worst, 
thinking  either   that  hell  was  not  so  intolerable  as  F 
apprehended,  or  that  I  should  be  strong  to  suffer,  as 
to  do,  (as  Milton  has  it)   and  in  this   state  of  mind, 
while  ail  refuge  failed  me,  no  eye  seemed  to  pity,  nor 
hand  appeared    to  help  me,   friends   and    acquaint- 
ance   stood  aloof  from  my  sore  indeed.     These  dis- 
tressing exercises,  more  or  less  fearful  and  appalling, 
under  the  heaviness  of  which  my  heart  stooped,  were 
continued  somewhere  about  two  years,  and  though  my 
soul  was  most  earnestly  hungering  and  thirsting  after 
righteousness,  and  exceedingly  diligent,  from  a  dis- 
tressing sense  of  need,  in  seeking  by  all  means  for 
a  way  of  escape  from  the  stormy  wind  and  tempest, 
and  although  that  way  was  clearly  pourtrayed  be- 
fore me  in  a  very  able  and  luminous  gospel  ministry, 
yet  it  was  in  a  great  degree  hid  from  my  eyes,     The 
power   of  grievous   temptations,  the  prevalence    of 
strong  corruptions,    and   the   blind  legality  of   my 
mind,    together  with  the   baneful  infl  lence  of  legal 
preaching  and  legal  reading,  (for  I  resorted  to  every 
thing  and  ran  every  where  for  help;)  artd  among  the 
many  things  I  then  read  was  a  book  intitled  Mien's 
B2 


18 

Marm9  and  another  called  Baxter's  Call  to  the  Un- 
converted. These  works,  as  I  then  felt,  and  do  now  ve- 
rily believe,  are  more  calculated  to  drive  a  sinner  to 
desperation  and  suicide,  than  to  lead  the  soul  to 
Christ,  which  certainly  they  never  did  as  means  ac- 
complish, any  more  than  the  Whole  Duty  of  Man, 
Thomas  A.  Kempis's  Imitation  of  Christ,  falsely  so 
called,  or  the  Alcoran  of  Mahomed;  these  things, 
connected  with  the  great  disadvantage  of  having  no 
one  to  converse  with  who  seemed  to  know  any  thing 
of  the  way  in  which  I  was  led,  made  me  of  necessity 
"sit  alone  and  keep  silence,  and  put  my  mouth  in  the 
dust,  if  so  be  there  might  be  hope."  I  saw  and  felt, 
what  I  doubt  but  few  feel,  namely,  an  end  to  ali  per- 
fection in  myself,  and  I  also  saw  and  felt  that  the 
commands  of  God  were  exceeding  broad;  but  in  the 
midst  of  all  this  distress  and  confusion  of  mind,  de- 
pravity of  heart,  and  temptations  of  Satan,  I  had  now 
and  then  a  ray  of  light  under  the  word  break  in  upon 
my  mind  that  gave  such  views  of  the  way  of  peace, 
as  for  the  moment  made  my  heart  glad  and  leap  for 
joy:  but  these  favoured  times  were  short  and  confused; 
they  were  the  joys  of  a  budding  hope  rather  than  pos- 
session— discoveries  of  the  possibility  of  being  saved* 
rather  than  a  belief  that  I  should  be  saved.  But 
that  God  who  was  leading  a  blind  sinner  in  a  way 
that  be  did  not  know,  and  who  was  making  me  come 
after  him  in  chains,  was  pleased,  by  slow  degrees, 
to  make  darkness  light  before  me,  and  crooked  things 
straight;  but  hope  deferred  did  in  verv  deed  make  my 
heart  sick.  The  lacking  anxiety — the  tormenting 
apprehensions — the  corroding  doubts  and  fears  that 
are  endured  under  such  exercises,  no  tongue  can  tell, 
no  heart  conceive,  but  the  heart  of  those  who  are  exer- 
cised therewith;  but  T  am  happy  to  have  to  relate,  that 
several  times  about  this  period  God  was  in  mercy  pleas- 
ed under  the  ministry  of  a  Mr.  Johnson,  a  Church  of 
England  clergyman,  but  a  man  of  truth,  to  s;[\e  me 
to  see  some  of  the  marks  and  evidences  of  the  new 
birthj  a  subject  on  which  he  long  dwelt,  but  they  were 


iy 

but  glimmerings  of  light  that  soon  vanished,  and 
were  succeeded  by  doubts  and  fears  of  the  most  dis- 
tressing character,  so  that  I  often  resolved  that  I 
would  not  hear  him  any  more  on  the  subject;  but  when 
Lord's  day  returned  my  resolves  gave  way,  and  I 
was,  as  it  were,  led  by  an  invisible  hand  to  hear  him 
again.  The  preaching  also  of  a  Mr.  Foster,  another 
Episcopal  gospel  minister,  was  very  much  blessed  to 
me,  by  keeping  alive  my  desires  and  encouraging  my 
hopes,  particularly  under  a  discourse  from  these 
Words:  "Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst 
after  righteousness,  for  they  shall  he  filled."  The 
characteristics  described  1  believed  I  was  the  subject  o£, 
and  I  had  a  flattering  hope  that  the  promise  would 
b?  fulfilled  in  me;  but  even  yet  hopes  were  very  tran- 
sient and  feeble,  and  fears  strong  and  almost  per- 
minent;  and  while  I  was  passing  through  these  trou- 
bled waters,  i  think  in  the  spring  of  1786,  I  had  a 
dream  of  rather  a  singular  nature,  and  as  it  was  not 
without  effect  on  my  mind,  I  shall  make  free  to  relate 
it,  although  I  am  fully  aware  that  many  are  disposed 
to  treat  such  things  and  the  relators  of  them,  with 
something  like  contempt.  But  when  I  consider  that 
some  of  the  best  and  wisest  of  men  have  not  scrupled 
to  record  some  particular  dreams,  John  Buuyan  not 
the  least  among  them,  and  especially  when  I  read  in 
the  book  of  Job,  that  **God  speaketh  once,  yea  twice 
to  man,  in  a  dream,  when  deep  sleep  falleth  upon 
men,  in  slumbering  on  their  beds,  then  he  openeth  their 
ears  and  sealeth  their  instruction:"  When  I  consider 
these  things,  and  also  the  many  instances  recorded 
in  scripture,  where  ordinary  men  have  had  dreams 
of  singular  import,  and  sometimes  had  them  inter- 
preted by  the  servants  of  God,  I  feel  fully  justified  in 
the  relation  of  mine,  which,  as  near  as  I  can  now  re- 
collect, was  as  follows. 

I  dreamed  that  I  was  sitting  with  the  woman  I 
kept  company  with,  close  by  a  long  lake  of  water 
that  extended  beyond  view  along  the  foot  of  a  very 
steep  hill,  rising  from  the  horizon  at  least  at  the  an- 


20 

§16  of  forty-five  degrees,  on  the  top  of  this  hill  stood 
a  man  inviting  me  up,   and  his  invitation   excited   in 
me  an  ardent  desire  to  ascend;  hut  I  greatly  feared  the 
attempt,  for  if  1  should  slip  destruction  appeared  in- 
evitable, as  I  must  of  necessity  roll  into  and  perish  in 
the  lake  at  the  bottom,  and  I  much  wished  that  I  had 
long  spikes  in  my  shoes,  to  prevent  the  much  dreaded 
accident;  but  while  these  were  the  cogitations  of  my 
mind,    I  thought  that  the  "power  of  God   would  not 
suffer   me   to  fall;"   this   thought  so   encouraged  me 
that  I  immediately  made  the  attempt,  taking  great 
care  every  step,  to  insert  my  foot  firmly  in  the  earth, 
and  the  path  on  which   1  had  to  ascend,  went  in  an 
oblique  direction,  by  which  the  difficulty  of  ascent  was 
greatly  lessened;  and  with  this  precaution  and  advan- 
tage, 1  arrived  safely,  and  much  sooner  than  I  ex- 
pected, on  the  summit  of  the  hill:   along  which'  ran  a 
level  margin  of  a  few  yards  width.  The  man  whom  1 
had  seen  from  the  bottom,  and   who  invited  me  up, 
stood  here,  and  two  others,  and  waving  his  right  hand, 
he  says,  "hehold  the  beauty  of  the  promised  land;*' 
and  looking,  I  saw  before  me  a  large  quantity  of  fresh 
plowed  land,  thrown  up  into  small  hills  of  considera- 
ble elevation;  between  which  ran  beautiful  streams  of 
water,  intersecting  with  each  other,  which  the  man 
told  me  were  to  water  the  land,  that  it  might  bring 
forth  its  fruit  plentifully.     Before  us  was  a  kind  of 
boundary  wall,  and,  I  think,  a  small  ditch,  over  which 
he  handed  me  into  the  promised  land.     On  the  inside 
of  the  wall,  close  by  where  we  entered,  was  a  deep 
and  dark  cavern,  the  descent  into  which  was  almost 
perpendicular — the  man,  my  guide,  charged  me  to 
beware  of  it;  for,  he  said,  it  was  the  devil's  pit;  and 
when  he  saw  me  alarmed,  (for  1  stood,  as  it  were   on 
its  crumbling  verge,)  he  encouraged    me  not  to  be 
afraid,  for  that  the  devil  would  be  destroyed  soon. 
After  I  had  been  some  time  with  my  guide,  and  the 
other  two,  surveying  the  promised  land,  the  woman, 
who  I  had  left  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  on  the  verge 


21 

of  the  lake,  appeared  an  the  summit  and  chided  me 
for  my  stay.  I  then  attempted  to  come  out.  but  my 
guide  prevented,  and  brought  me  a  book,  in  which 
I  was  to  write  my  name  among  very  many  others.  I 
did  so,  and  when  I  wrote  it,  it  struck  me  as  very  sin- 
gular, that  instead  of  being  wrote  with  ?"./:,  it  was 
wrote  with  blood.  Against  every  name  a  very  small 
sum  of  money  was  set,  which  I  understood  to  be  the 
perquisites  of  those  who  shewed  the  place.  I  then  put 
as  large  a  sum  as  any  t  saw,  to  my  name,  and  paid 
the  cash,  and  then  made  the  second  attempt  to  egress, 
but  was  again  stopped  by  my  attentive  guide,  who* 
said  he  would  give  me  something  to  keep  in  remem- 
brance of  the  place:  so  saying,  he  fetched  me  a  large 
bough  of  evergreen,  myrtle,  or  box,  apparently,  which 
he  called  Isthmus.  I  asked  him  if  it  was  the  lstnmus 
recorded  in  scripture — he  replied  it  was.  I  then  again 
attempted,  and  was  permitted  to  come  out;  and  I  gave 
the  bough  of  evergreen  into  the  hand  of  the  woman 
who  was  waiting  tor  me,  and  immediately  about  half 
of  the  bough  drooped  exceedingly — we  then,  in  com- 
pany, walked  about  a  large  field,  in  which  we  then 
appeared  to  be,  and  at  different  places  we  saw  several 
traps,  made  of  oak,  for  catching  game;  and  what  struck 
me  in  my  dream,  was  the  singular  circumstance  that 
none  of  them  had  the  fall,  or  tumbler,  which  is  intend- 
ed to  seen pc  the  prey. 

After  this  I  had  lost  the  woman,  and  found  myself 
in  company  with  two  men,  walking  along  a  road  which 
had  high  banks  on  its  sides.  After  travelling  some 
time,  we  came  to  a  rather  singular  appearance  in  the 
bank,  somewhat  analogous  to  what  foxes  make.  One 
of  the  men  said,  that  was  the  devil's  house;  and  direct- 
ly opposite  was,  as  it  were,  the  remains  of  a  fortifica- 
tion, or  breast  work,  which  appeared  to  be  beaten  down 
to  two  or  three  feet  high.  One  of  the  men  exclaimed, 
"that  is  the  devil's  buttery."  I  immediately  asked, 
who  would  first  storm  the  fort — and  one  of  the  men 
instantly  leaped  the  wall,  and  I  next  followed:  and 


22 

when  we  had  entered  this  supposed  fort,  there  stood  a 
considerable  number  in  a  row  of  the  same  kind  of  traps 
I  had  seen  before,  and  they  were  Lri  the  same  incom- 
plete and  inefficient  state;  that  is,  they  had  no  tum- 
blers; consequently,  incapable  of  holding  the  prey. 
On  seeing  such  a  number,  I  exclaimed,  with  some- 
emotion,  "Surely,  this  is  a  trap  manufactory" — and 
after  some  more  observations  in  this  place,  which  es- 
caped my  memory,  we  appeared  to  walk  into  the  ad- 
joining lands,  which  were  very  woody:  and  I  awoke, 
and  so  much  was  ray  mind  impressed  with  this  dream, 
that  I  directly  jumped  out  of  bed  and  wrote  it  down, 
but  the  copy  has  been  many  years  lost — yet  the  sub- 
stance, I  believe,  will  never  be  erased  from  my  mind. 
I  shall  make  no  observations  on  it;  but  leave  my  read- 
ers to  make  their  own  reflections,  and  proceed  with 
my  narrative,  by  observing,  that  some  parts  of  the 
works  of  Mr.  John  Bunyan,  (the  venerable  and  well 
taught  author  of  the  Pilgrim's  Progress,)  were  made  of 
special  service  to  me;  and  particularly  his  treatise 
entitled,  "The  Doctrines  of  Law  and  Grace  unfold- 
ed," and  his  tract  called,  "Grace  abounding  to  the 
Chief  of  Sinners,"  the  mere  titje  of  which  made  my 
heart  bound  with  hope,  and  its  contents,  which  are  a 
relation  of  his  own  experience,  gave  me  much  instruc- 
tion and  great  encouragement:  but,  though  I  received 
much  benefit  from  the  sources  I  have  named,  1  believe 
the  preaching  of  Mr.  Romaine,  (a  master  in  Israel 
and  a  scribe  well  instructed,)  was  more  owned  of 
God  than  all  other  means. 

in  his  ministry,  the  ruined  state  of  sinners,  the 
fulness  and  sufficiency  of  the  Saviour,  as  Lord  of  all 
by  whom  he  preached  peace,  and  the  sovereign  fine- 
ness of  divine  grace,  together  with  the  indispensable 
and  irresistible  agency  of  the  holy  spirit,  and  the  ex- 
ercises ot  the  poor  sinner  in  passing  from  death  to  life, 
were  constantly  and  ably  set  forth;  and  God  blessed 
his  labors  to  many,  very  many,  and,  I  trust,  to  me 
also,  though  I  am  nothing,  and  worse  than  nothing, 


23 

the  chief  of  sinners:   and  as  his  labors  were  frequent- 
lv  blessed  to  ni<  ,  so  as  to  cause  a  lively  hope,  (1  trust 
a  good   hope,  through   grace,)  to  spring   up   in  my 
heart.     He  seldom  preached,  in  season  or  out  of  sea- 
son, but  I  was  glad   to    embrace   the  opportunity  to 
hear  him;  and  on  Good  Friday  morning,  1786,  I  w  as 
more  sensibly  favored  than  ever  before,  under  a  dis- 
course on  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  whose  nam?   had 
now  become  to  me  as  ointment  poured  forth,  and  I 
loved   him  with  my  whole   heart,  and  ran  about  the 
streets   of  London    in   the  afternoon,  to   find    some 
preaching,  thinking  that  the  bare  mention  of  his  name, 
would   increase  my  joy  in  the  Lord.     But  I  had  not 
the  happiness  of  hearing  another  sermon  until  night, 
when  Mr.  Foster    (before  named.)  spoke  frr>m  the 
words  of  the  Psalmist,  "The  redemption  of  the  soul 
is   precious,   it  ceascth   forever" — under  which   dis- 
course I  was  much  instructed  on  the  important  subject 
of  redemption:  but  not  so  happy  as  in  the  morning: 
nor  was  I  for  several  weeks  after,  though  1  followed 
hard  after  him  who  was  powerfully  drawing  me  "with 
tin-  cords  of  ]ove,  as  with  the  bands  of  a  man."     But 
on  the  Thursday  week  before  Whitsunday,  I  was  most 
happily  visited  with  the  plenitude  of  divine  compas- 
sion, under  a  rich  gospel  discourse,  preached  by  Mr. 
Romaine,  from  those  sweet  and  all -interesting  words 
in  John — "I  ascend  to  my  Father,  and  to  your  Father; 
to  ??.■?/  God,  and  to  your  God.'9     Under  that  never  to 
be  forgotten  sermon,  the  spirit  of  God,  in  mercy,  so 
applied  the  truth  preached,  that  I  was  brought  fully 
into  the  liberty  of  the  gospel.     Faith,  as  the  gift  of 
God,  came  by  hearing,  even  faith  in   him  of  whom  I 
heard,  so  that  my  sins  were  removed,  and  my  interest 
in  a  precious  Almighty  Saviour,  who  saved  me  to  the 
uttermost,  (from  the  uttermost  guilt  and  wretched- 
ness,) and  my  relationship  to  my  heavenly  Father, 
was  happily  made  known,  believed,  and  rejoiced  in, 
for  that  continuance,  and  in  that  degree,  which  before 
I  was  a  stranger  to.     1  seemed  now  to  have  nothing 


£4 

to  ask  for,  (comparatively  speaking:) — my  cup  of  joy- 
ran  over — ail  was  peace,  joy,  thanksgiving  and  praise. 
Before  this,  the  thing  I  hoped  for  being  deferred, 
made  my  heart  sick,  and  I  had  long  and  often  poured 
out  my  complaints  with  groanings,  that  could  not  be 
uttered,  and  had  often  been  driven  from  my  knees  by 
the  forte  of  inward  terror,  and  an  awful  apprehension 
and  conception  of  diabolical  presence.  But  now,  what 
I  had  long  and  ardently  desired,  was  com\  and  it  was, 
in  truth,  a  tree  of  life;  for  my  sou'  did  indeed  magnify 
the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  rejoiced  in  God,  my  Saviour; 
and,  as  before,  the  glory  of  the  visible  heavens  did 
appal  my  soul,  so  now,  more  than  once,  in  a  certain 
indescribable  happy  reveiy,  I  have  anxiously  watch- 
ed for  the  opening  of  the  heavens,  and  the  second  ap- 
pearing of  my  Lore!,  who  was  dearer  to  me  than  life. 
Indeed,  in  a  certain  sense,  life  had  lost  its  value,  and 
I  often  regretted  that  I  was  a  young  man,  and  was 
ready  to  envy  those  who,  either  by  old  age  or  invet- 
erate disease,  seemed  tottering  on  the  grave,  and,  as 
it  were,  ready  to  launch  away  to  that  land  where  the 
great,  glorious  and  precious  Saviour  of  the  lost  is 
se^n  as  he  is,  and  the  emanations  of  infinite  felicity 
f ; -■>  m  his  fulness,  and  the  beatific  contemplation  of  his 
uncreated  glory,  enjoyed  without  alloy — without  a 
cloud,  an;!  without  a  period. 

And  although,  after  this,  I  had  short  intervals  of 
misgivings,  and  even  sometimes  my  life  hung  in  doubt 
before  me,  on  account  of  i'ue  striving  and  working  of 
corruptions,  which  I  expected  had  been  all  dead,  to 
l  no  'pore.  Yet,  nevertheless,  general!}  speaking, 
I  was  I  ippy  in  Christ,  believing  that  I  should  not  die 
I  e,  and  the  good   spirit  of  God  was    pleased, 

g  to  establish  me  in  the  faith,  and  open  my 

urn  ling,  to  comprehend  the  way  of  life,  and  to 

fcnoA  a  degree  of  clearness,  that  truth,  by  which 

I  bad  ■•;  en  nade  free, though  my  knowledge  of  it  when  I 
was  made  free  b v  it,  was  rude  and  circumscribed:  but 
this  growing  in  knowledge,  or  progressive  illumina- 


25 

tion,  wa9  a  slow  work — I  felt  much,  but  knew  but  lit- 
tle; yet  the  leaven  of  grace  and  truth  worked — the 
grain  of  mustard  seed  grew  in  a  diligent  and  happy 
use  of  the  means  of  grace,  until  my  christian  friends, 
who  were  then  numerous  and  intelligent,  became  cla- 
morous in  urging  me,  and  perseveringly  solicitous  to 
introduce  me  into  public  and  useful  life.  What  were 
the  exercises  of  my  mind,  and  what  was  the  result  of 
seven  years  earnest  and  continued  importunity,  I  do 
not  feel  myself  called  on,  nor  disposed,  at  present,  to 
delineate.  But,  perhaps,  some  may  think,  (if  it  was 
so,)  their  partial  preference  was  ill  judged,  and  did 
but  flatter  my  vanity.  Permit  me  to  say,  as  to  the 
last  particular,  I  know  the  reverse — but  be  it  so;  that 
I  was  then  flattered,  I  have  had  enough  of  late  years 
to  mortify  my  vanity,  (if  I  am  the  subject  of  it)  in 
being  as  a  lamp  despised  in  the  thoughts  of  those  that 
are  at  ease.  I  am  content,  or,  at  least,  I  desire  so  to 
be;  for  why  should  a  livitig  man  complain — a  man  for 
the  punishment  of  his  sins;  and,  I  hope,  I  have  not 
quite  forgotten  the  proverb  that  speaketh  unto  mourn- 
ers as  to  children:  "My  son,  despise  not  thou  the 
chastening  of  the  Lord,  nor  faint  when  thou  art  re- 
buked of  him,  for  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasten - 
ctli,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth." 
But  here  I  am  constrained  to  take  up  a  lamentation, 
and  say,  would  to  God  those  happy,  lively,  humble 
and  useful  days,  which  were  enjoyed  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  had  lasted  even  till  now.  But  no,  alas! 
that  has  not  been  my  happiness.  I  have  too  just  oc- 
casion to  lament  my  unfruitfuliiess,  and  with  one  of 
old  to  say,  my  leanness,  my  leanness,  woe  unto  me. 
♦♦The  heart,  however,  knoweth  its  own  bitterness,  (in 
declensions)  and  a  stranger  doth  not  intermeddle  with 
its  joys"  when  grace  reigns;  often  had  I  to  use  the  lan- 
guage of  the  apostle,  and  say,  ♦♦O!  wretched  man  that 
I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me;"  and  I  trust  it  has  also 
often  been  my  privilege  to  add,  even  in  deep  waters, 
♦♦I  thank  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  my  Lord;"  so 
C 


26 

that  I  trust  "I  shall  not  die,  but  live."  But,  oh!  the 
unfeeling  scorning  of  those  that  are  at  ease! — the 
wicked  triumph  of  the  Philistines,  who  shout  loud 
enough  to  be  heard,  "aha.  aha,  so  would  we  have  it. 
An  evil  disease  cleavetli  fast  to  him,  and  now  that  he 
is  down  he  shall  rise  no  more.  But  they  know  not  the 
thoughts  of  the  Lord — neither  understand  they  his 
counsel — for  he  lifteth  up  those  that  fall.  The  Lord 
looseth  the  prisoners!"  Yes,  and  taketh  delight  to 
shew  himself  rich  in  mercy  to  all  that  call  upon 
him,  because  he  delighteth  in  mercy,  and  knoweth 
thereof  we  are  made,  and  remembereth  tliat  we  are 
but  dust,  so  that  however  tried  we  are  not  forsak- 
en, often  cast  down  but  never  destroyed,  so  that, 
though  I  am  constrained  to  take  tip  Mr.  Hart's  lan- 
guage and  say,  "from  sinner  and  from  saint  I  meet 
with  many  a  blow;"  and  although  "my  own  bad  heart 
creates  me  smart,  which  none  but  '  od  doth  know," 
or  can  know;  yet  "remembering  the  wormwood  and 
the  gall,  my  soul  hath  them  still  in  remembrance,  and 
is  humbled  in  me,  therefore  have  I  hope— and  I  trust 
it  is  my  privilege  to  add  with  David,  "this  is  my  com- 
fort in  my  affliction,  for  thy  word  hath  quickened 
me;"  and  having  the  same  spirit  of  faith,  I  will  farther 
add  with  the  Psalmist,  "let  them  curse,  but  bless  thou." 
For  surely  God  hath,  in  my  case,  as  well  as  in  many 
thousands,  "chosen  the  base  things  of  the  world,  and 
things  that  are  not,"  (of  any  value  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world,)  ••'hath  God  chosen  to  bring  to  nought  things 
that  are,"  (in  high  esteem  with  men,)  for  this  gracious 
and  all  important  end;  an  end  that  God  never  loses 
sight  of  in  any  of  his  gracious  dispensations,  namely, 
"that  no   flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence." 

And  however  men  (whether  wicked  men  or  mistak- 
en good  men)  may  be  disposed  to  despise,  I  know 
from  the  divine  testimony  and  from  happy  experience, 
that  "a  broken  and  contrite  spirit  Gbd  will  not  des- 
pise"— "for  he  hath  not  despised  nor  abhorred  the 
affliction  of  the  afflicted;"  nor  will  he  ever  do  it,  though 


•    2r      • 

be  might  justly  do  so.  us  all  affliction  is,  in  some  way 
or  oilier,  the  fruit  of  evil  doing:  but,  instead  of  deal- 
ing with  deserved  severity,  "when  the  afflicted  crietli 
he  liearcth  him;"  and  in  a  thousand  instances,  as  well 
as  in  my  case,  says,  *•!  have  seen  his  ways  and  will 
heal  him;  I  will  lead  him  also,  and  restore  comfort  to 
him,  and  to  his  mour.seks" — not  his  accusers — not  his 
mockers;  but  his  .mourners.  Such  as  can,  and  do 
sympathise  with,  and  pray  for,  and  "treat  not  as  an 
enemy,  hut  admonish  as  a  brother,"  the  tempted  and 
fallen.  Such  God  will  make  participators  in  the  com- 
forts of  the  restored.  These  are  a  part  of  his  ways, 
"who  delighteth  to  multiply,  to  pardon,  and  to  pass  by 
the  transgressions  of  the  remnant  of  his  heritage;" 
and  who  is  he  that  will  dare  to  "say  to  the  Almighty, 
what  dost  thou" — "he  that  repliest  against  God,  let 
him  answer  it."  But  I  will  subjoin  (as  I  oft  have 
done)  the  Psalmist's  petition,  and  say,  "restore  to  me 
(more  fully)  the  joys  of  thy  salvation" — and,  I  trust,  I 
feel  equally  disposed  to  add,  "uphold  me  with  thy  free 
spirit" — and  I  must  be  permitted  yet  farther  to  add, 
in  his  language,  and,  I  trust,  with  equal  propriety, 
"then  will  I,  (when  thou  hast  enlarged  my  heart,  and 
healed  the  bones  thou  hast  broken,)  then  will  I  teach 
transgressors  thy  ways,  and  sinners  shall  be  convert- 
ed unto  thee."  Amen,  and  amen;  and  let  not  the  proud 
and  the  self-righteous  chafe,  while  I  add,  So  be  it. — 
The  Lord  God  of  king  Darid,  the  God  of  Israel,  say 
amen,  too. 

Now  Lord,  to  thee,  my  Sai  iour  and  my  God. 
Myself, and  all  1  have,  I  dedicate. 
Oh,  take  me  as  1  am,  though  weak  and  vile, 
And  fashion  me  beneath  thy  forming  hand, 
(If  thou  see  guod,;  to  favour  and  promote, 
As  heretofore  I've  done,  thy  righteous  cause, 
To  spread  thy  holy  truth  and  wondrous  fame 

But,  oh!  forbid  that  ever  I  should  shun 
Thy  truth  to  speak,  and  counsel  to  declare. 


26 

As  mauydo,  to  please  poor  dying  men, 

And  keep  back  that  which  would  their  pride  offend, 

And  shew,  thereby,  they  seek  not  them,  but  tkeirs. 

But,  oh!  my  Lord,  do  thou  thy  dust  instruct,, 
To  warn  the  wicked  of  thy  wrath  to  come, 
And  point  the  guilty  to  thy  cleansing  blood: 
To  preach  forgiveness  in  thy  saving  name, 
And  shew  that  in  thy  righteousness  divine, 
Believing  souls  are  freely  justified, 
From  all  the  things  thy  righteous  law  conden u  . 

And  thereby  gather  in  as  own'd  of  thee, 
Thy  chosen  seed,  to  serve  thee  as  their  king. 
To  feed  thy  sheep  and  lambs  beloved  of  thee, 
And  strengthen  feeble  knees,  and  lift  the  hands 
That,  in  desponding  fear,  hang  feebly  down. 
To  succour  instrumentally  the  souls 
Whom  Satan  tempts,  to  sin  or  to  despair. 
To  say  to  such  as  seem  disposed  to  turn 
To  the  right  hand,  or  to  the  left — Behold 
The  good  old  way;  the  footsteps  of  the  flock, 
And  walk  therein — beside  the  shepherds  tents — 
So  shall  your  weary  souls  find  rest  in  God! 
To  seek  the  wand'rers  from  thy  fold,  and  strive 
As  under-shepherd  in  thy  hand,  to  bring 
Them  back  to  thee  to  taste  forgiving  love, 
And  dwell  beneath  the  shadow  of  thy  wings. 
So  shall  thy  name,  my  Lord,  be  magnified, 
And  sinners  lost,  be  to  the  utmost  sa\ed! 

Oh!  open  thou  a  door,  which  none  can  shut, 
And  say,  "My  servant  enter  in  and  occupy 
Until  I  come,  and  faithful  do  my  work — 
The  work  of  an  Evangelist;  and  ghe 
Full  proof  to  all  thy  min'stry  is  from  meP 

■   So  speak,  my  Saviour  God,  thy  servant  hears — 
And  prays  for  grace  and  strength  to  do  thy  will, 
And  wisdom  from  above,  his  way  to  guiile: 
And  while  thy  cause  before  thy  foes  he  pleads, 
From  srourse  of  tongues  unha'.iowM  him  defend. 


29 

Thy  word,  as  iire  in  his  bones,  thou  knowest 
Is  often  felt,  and  fain  he'd  pour  it  out  abroad; 
But  patient  wait  my  soul,  and  watch  his  leading  hand 

Yet,  while  with  warm  solicitude  I  wait 
To  know  thy  will,  I  cannot  help  but  pray. 
Let  not  my  lamp  in  dark  obscurity  go  out, 
Nor  let  my  talents  (be  they  what  they  may,) 
Lie  useless  by,  as  in  a  napkin  hid. 

From  thee,  my  gracious  Lord,  and  not  from  men 
They  came — and  to  thy  praise  I'd  them  devote. 
So  shall  the  savor  of  thy  name  be  spread, 
And  my  last  days,  my  God,  shall  be  my  best! 


32 


Sf* 


wmm  sin  wEWiwfsww 


i©m©  JESTS  <SEEEKEP< 


•'  Who  is  over  all  God  blessed  forever,  amen." — Rom.  ix.  j. 


TThe  object  of  the  following  essay,  is  to  illustrate 
and  establish  the  words  I  have  chosen  for  a  motto; 
which  are  taken  from  the  Epistle  of  Paul  to  the  Ro- 
mans, ch.  ix.  v.  5.  last  clause.  Who  is  over  all,  God 
Messed  for  ever,  Jlmen. 

In  the  preceding  verse,  and  first  clause  of  this,  the 
apostle  has  been  describing  the  character  and  privi- 
leges of  his  brethren,  his  kinsmen,  according  to  the 
flesh,  of  whom  he  thus  speaks,  "Who  are  Israelites?" 
But  "what  advantage  hath  an  Israelite?"  it  may  be 
asked; — "much  every  way,  chiefly  because  that  unto 
them  were  committed  the  oracles  of  God."  The 
great  object  of  which  o»acles,  was  to  develope  the 
Divine  character,  his  will,  and  conduct,  towards 
his  creature  man.  His  character,  "Hear,  O  Israel, 
the  Lord  thy  God,  is  one  Lord."  His  will,  "Thou 
sIiaH  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt 
thou  serve."    His   conduct,  "I  will  have  mercy  on 


32  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

whom  1  will  have  mercy.  I  will  have  compassion 
on  whom  I  will  have  compassion."  "The  Lord,  gra- 
cious and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  abundant  in  good- 
ness and  truth,  forgiving  iniquity,  transgression  and 
sin;  and  who  will,  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty/' 
The  object  of  the  divine  oracles,  as  committed  to  the 
Jews,  was  also  to  show  man  his  own  real  character, 
situation,  and  relationship  to  God,  as  a  subject  of  his 
moral  government,  and  a  daring  and  ruined  trans- 
gressor of  his  law.  "The  law  entered  that  the  of- 
fence might  abound."  Rom.  v.  20.  "That  sin,  by 
the  commandment,  might  become  exceeding  sinful." 
Rom.  vii.  13.  A  farther  object  of  the  divine  oracles, 
as  thus  delivered,  was  to  display  before  fallen  and  ru- 
ined men,  the  exercise  of  divine  compassion  in  de- 
vising, executing,  and  revealing  a  way,  in  and 
through  which,  the  election  of  grace,  lost  in  Adam 
and  in  themselves;  but  chosen  in  Christ  before  the 
foundation  of  the  world,  and  in  him  blessed  with  all 
spiritual  blessing.  To  show,  I  say,  howr  these  apos- 
tates, "children  of  wrath  even  as  others,"  might  be 
delivered  from  going  down  into  the  pit,  and  be  brought 
back  to  that  God  from  whom  they  had  deeply  revolt- 
ed, that  they  might  taste  and  enjoy  those  blessings 
treasured  up  for  them  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  worship 
and  serve  the  Lord  in  the  beauty  of  holiness.  In 
farther  tracing  the  privileges  of  God's  ancient  peo- 
ple the  Jews,  the  apostle  observes,  that  "to  them  also 
pertaineth  the  adoption."  As  a  nation,  distinct 
from  all  other  nations,  though  the  fewest  of  all 
people,  and  a  stiff-necked  and  perverse  people,  yet 
the  Lord  was  pleased  to  adopt  them  to  be  a  people  to 
his  name,  the  repositories  of  his  oracles  and  ordinan- 
ces, as  he  further  notices,  "and  the  glory,  and  the 
covenants,  and  the  giving  of  the  law,  and  the  ser- 
vice of  God,  and  the  promises."  These  all,  at  that 
day,  pertained  to,  and  were  bestowed  on  that  favour- 
ed people;  for  these  great  and  all  interesting  favours 
had  not  then  been  bestowed  on  any  others,  nor  were 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  33 

they,  until  the  middle  wall  of  partition  was  broken 
down,  when  the  seed  came,  to  whom  all  the  service 
and  ceremonies  then  in  use  pointed;  of  whom,  in 
whom,  and  to  whom,  the  promises  were  made.  In 
farther  unfolding  the  advantages  that  the  Israelites 
had,  above  all  people  that  dwelt  on  the  face  of  the 
earth,  he  speaks  thus:  "Whose  are  the  Father's. " 
This  was  no  small  privilege,  to  be  the  descendants  of 
Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  all  the  eminent  and 
godly  that  succeeded  them;  very  many  favours  accru- 
ed to  the  Israelites  on  that  account.  But  the  dignity 
and  importance  of  their  privileges  is  greatly  enhan- 
ced in  the  following  clause:  "Of  whom,  as  concerning 
the  flesh,  Christ  came."  That  was  the  climax  of 
their  honor  and  happiness;  but  it  must  here  be  parti- 
cularly noticed,  and  always  remembered,  that  the 
Jewish  Fathers  had  no  claim  to  the  high  and  distin- 
guishing honor  of  being  the  progenitors  ©f  Christ, 
farther  than  regarded  his  human  nature,  for  thus  it 
reads:  "Of  whom,  as  concerning  the  fleth,  Christ 
came."  Observe  these  striking,  distribute  and  dis- 
tinguishing terms:  "^s  concerning  the  flesh"  Terms 
that  are  evidently  designed  to  mark  an  important  dis- 
tinction between  his  human  and  divine  nature,  be- 
tween David's  Son  and  David's  Lord."  "The  Lord 
said  unto  my  Lord,  sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,  until 
I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool."  Now  if  David 
in  spirit  called  him  Lord,  how  is  he  then  his  Son?" 
No  man  can  answer  the  question,  but  as  the  words 
before  us  furnish  an  answer. — "As  concerning  the 
flesh,"  or  as  respects  the  flesh,  in  that  sense,  Christ 
came  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Jewish  nation.  In  that 
sense,  and  that  only,  he  was  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
the  son  of  David,  "his  righteous  branch;**  but  he  was 
David's  Lord  also,  the  root  as  well  as  the  offspring 
of  David.  "But  be  astonished,  O  heavens,  and  won- 
der, O  earth;  because  the  children  were  partakers  of 
flesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself  likewise  took  part  of 
the  same."     O  wonderful  love!  "the  word  was  made 


34  On  the  Divinity  of  Chr'.st. 

iiesh  and  dwelt  among  us."  "The  wisdom  of  God 
in  a  mystery,"  the  greatest  of  all  mysteries,  the  mys- 
tery of  godliness;  •*  Without  controversy,  great  is  the 
mystery  of  godliness;"  but  what  is  that  mystery 
which  overwhelms  with  its  magnitude  and  grandeur, 
the  apostolic  mind,  and  challenges*  as  it  were,  the 
language  of  inspiration  to  unfold  if?  it  was  this: — 
**God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh."  God,  as  manifest 
in  the  flesh,  was  "justified  in  the  spirit."  ••God  was 
seen  of  angels."  O,  wonderful  sight!  they  indeed 
"beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  begotten 
of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth;"  and  not  only 
did  they  see  him,  hut  they  worshipped  him  agreeably 
to  the  mandate  of  heaven,  "Let  all  the  angels  of  God 
worship  him."  "God,  as  manifest  in  the  flesh,  was 
preached  unto  the  Gentiles;"  yes,  verily,  he  that  was 
preached  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  in  whom  the  Gen- 
tiles are  encouraged  to  trust,  was  Gad.  And  faith 
came  by  hearing,  for  God  incarnate,  who  was  preach- 
ed, and  blessed  be  God,  is  still  preached  unto  the  Gen- 
tiles, was  ••believed  on  in  the  world:"  and  whei.  he 
had  made  an  end  of  sin,  finished  transgression,  and 
brought  in  an  everlasting  righteousness,  spoiled  prin- 
cipalities and  powers,  and  made  a  show  of  them  open- 
ly, and  triumphed  over  deat!;  and  the  grave.  Then, 
as  a  great  conqueror,  "the  Lord  of  Hosts,  mighty  in 
battle,"  lie  gloriously  ascended,  leading  captivity  cap- 
tive, and  was  "received  up  into  glory."  Thus  He, 
"who  was  made  of  the  seed  of  David,  according  to 
the  flesh,  and  (afterwards)  declared  to  be  the  Son  of 
God  with  power,  according  to  the  spirit  of  holiness," 
according  to,  or  as  it  respects  his  divine  nature,  «*by 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead  "  This  glorious  and 
blessed  Redeemer  did  thus,  by  his  taking  flesh,  and 
living  and  dying,  "the  just  for  the  unjust;"  he  did,  I 
say,  ••destroy  death  and  him  that  had  the  power  of 
death,  that  is  the  devil."  Rich  grace  and  sovereign 
compassion  towards  the  children.  "Made  of  a 
woman,  and   made   under  the  law,  that  he  might 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  55 

redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law,  that  thcy 
might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons/'  A  virgin 
conceives  and  bears  a  son.  "Of  whom  as  con- 
earning  the  jlrslu  Christ  came."  And  although  it 
is  a  vexation  to  his  enemies  to  understand  the  report, 
yet  he  is  indisputably  "over  all,  God  blessed  for  ever, 
Amen."'  Thus  we  are  brought  to  the  all  important 
subject  to  be  illustrated  and  established  in  this  cs- 
sav:  or  in  other  words,  to  contemplate  Christ  Jesus 
the  Lord,  in  all  the  full  orbed  splendour  of  uncreated 
majesty,  as  "overall  God  blessed  forever.  Amen." 
I  am  well  aware  of  the  appalling  magnitude  of  t\\a 
subject,  of  the  arduous  nature  of  the  undertaking; 
but  while  I  painfully  Feel  my  own  insufficiency,  1  feel 
an  equal  conviction,  that  no  man  is  sufficient  for 
these  things  of  himself,  so  that,  it  human  sufficiency 
is  to  be  waited  for,  the  work  of  the  Lord,  in  every 
instance,  may  go  undone,  and  the  adversaries  of  truth 
be  suffered  to  triumph  unmolested;  they  on  every 
subject,  and  especially  on  the  subject  of  this  essay, 
feel  their  sufficiency  to  oppose  truth  and  defame  inm, 
who  is  the  "true  God  and  eternal  life."  Shall  then 
a  champion  for  truth,  however  humble,  who  knows 
where  his  great  strength  lieth,  be  discouraged  in 
pleading  the  cause  of  that  God  and  of  his  truth,  who 
"ordaineth  strength  in  the  mouth  of  babes  to  perfect 
praise,  and  to  si  ill  the  enemy  and  the  avenger?"  X  \ 
Humbly  trusting  then,  that  the  good  spirit  of  God, 
the  spirit  of  wisdom,  and  revelation,  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ,"  may  be  pleased  graciously  and  suit- 
ably to  help  my  infirmities,  I  have  attempted  this  es- 
say, hoping  that  something  may  be  said  honorable 
to  his  great  and  adorable  name,  and  what  he  will 
deign  to  bless  for  his  own  praise,  his  people's  good, 
and  in  some  degree  stopping  the  mouths  of  gainsay- 
ers;  who  labour  indefatigably  to  degrade  the  high 
and  lofty  One,  our  Redeemer,  to  a  creature. — Vain 
attempt.  He  is  "Lord  of  all — overall,  God  blessed 
for  ever. — Amen." 


36  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

It  must  be  observed  and  ever  borne  in  mind,  that 
this  subject  is  one  especially  of  revelation.  Philoso- 
phy and  purplind  human  reason  know  nothing  of  it; 
their  vulture  eyes  cannot  see  it.  "To  the  law  and 
to  the  testimony'*  then;  and  oh,'  alas!  that  even  reve- 
lation itself  is  sealed  to  the  proud  sceptic.  God  has 
in  awful  sovereignty  and  just  judgment,  hid  these 
things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  the  self-sufficient 
scorner.  But  still,  it  is  to  the  lively  oracles  of  God, 
divested  of  the  prejudices  of  science,  falsely  so  called, 
that  we  ought  to  come,  and  must  come,  if  we  would 
♦'know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be  of  God." 

To  these  oracles,  that  only  source  of  correct  in- 
formation on  a  subject  so  sublime  and  interesting,  I 
now  appeal,  and  from  them  there  can  be  no  appeal; 
this  must  be  admitted  a  first  principle  in  theology. 
The  scriptures,  and  they  only,  are  the  safe,  sufficient, 
and  authorized  judges  on  ail  divine  subjects. 

The  Catholics  may  drag  their  deluded  proselytes 
to  their  traditions,  their  councils,  their  synods,  their 
popes,  and  church  decisions. — The  Unitarians  of  va- 
rious names,  may  also  lead  their  blinded  followers 
by  their  strong  reasons  (so  called)  against  the  King 
of  Jacob,  the  King  of  Zion. 

The  Legalist  of  every  name,  may  also  lead  their 
votaries  (if  God  permit)  by  their  supposed  fitness  of 
things;  but  it  is  the  Christian's  duty  and  privilege  to 
turn  from  all  such  expedients,  such  refuges  of  lies, 
with  disdain,  and  make  his  appeal  to  the  law  and  to 
the  testimony,  whether  men  will  hear,  or  whether 
they  will  forbear,  and  decidedly  conclude,  if  they 
speak  not  according  to  these  it  is  because  there  is 
no  light  in  them.  "What  saith  the  scripture?"  is  a 
proper  enquiry  on  every  spiritual  subject;  because 
the  light  that  is  in  us,  as  fallen  sinners,  is  darkness; 
and  while  men  continue  in  a  state  of  nature,  "aliena- 
ted from  the  life  of  God,  through  the  ignorance  that 
is  in  them,  because  of  the  blindness  of  their  minds," 
that  darkness  remains,  and  especially  on  a  subject  of 


On  The  Divinity  of  Christ.  37 

*o  great  and  acknowledged  a  mystery. — I  will  there- 
fore, as  proposed,  make  an  appeal  to  the  true  sayings 
of  God,  in  order  to  prove  from  them  the  all  interest- 
ing truth  under  consideration;  namely,  that  Christ  is 
•'over  all  God  blessed  for  ever.  Amen."  And  this  I 
shall  attempt  by  shewing  that  the  scriptures  of  truth 
ascribe  to  Christ  the  possession  of  divine  perfections, 
attributes  of  eternal  majesty;  and  that  the  correctness 
of  such  ascriptions  is  fully  substantiated  by  his  works. 
This  I  presume  will  be  acknowledged  a  fair  and 
conclusive  way  of  bringing  forward  the  subject  which 
is  now  to  be  illustrated  and  established,  that  it  is  a 
lair  and  proper  way  of  handling  this  matter,  will  ap- 
pear from  the  following  considerations.  If  we  con- 
template a  being,  and  find  that  it  possesses  powers 
and  performs  works  proper  (exclusively  so)  to  any 
particular  grade  of  beings,  we  possess  conclusive 
evidence,  that  such  a  being  belongs  to  that  particular 
grade.  So,  when  we  contemplate,  in  the  light  of  divine 
truth,  the  glorious  Redeemer  of  God's  elect,  as  he 
stands  pre-eminently  glorious  in,  and  the  life  of,  the 
sacred  page;  and  find  him  possessed  of,  and  glorious- 
ly displaying  the  full  blaze  of  the  incommunicable  per- 
fections, of  infinite  uncreated  majesty,  what  is  it  short 
of  demonstration,  that  he  is  "over  all  God  blessed 
forever.  Amen!"  and  does  it  not  furnish  us  a  full  war- 
rant to  encourage  the  feeble  spouse  of  Christ,  by  telU 
ing  her  that  her  beloved,  on  who.-n  she  leans,  is — what? 
— a  creature  only! — No,  sirs,  God  forbid! — but  by 
telling  her,  in  the  language  of  in-pi ration,  that  "her 
Maker  is  her  husband;  the  Lore  of  Hosts  is  his  name.'-' 
Isa.  liv.  5.  0  glorious  and  blessed  truth,  "happy 
are  the  people  whose  God  is  t|^e  Lord."  Let  the 
Arian  and  Socinian,  with  all  their  blinded  adherents, 
talk  of  a  creature  Saviour — deny  the  true  nature,  \a- 
lue  and  validity  of  his  atonement — and,  in  their  world- 
ly wisdom,  icorn  the  humbUng  truths  of  the  gospel — 
boast  of  their  free  will,  and  go  about  to  establish  their 
own  righteousness,  until  deceiver  and  deceived  reap  the 


38  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ, 

fruit  of  their  rebellion.  But  let  the  church,  the  Lamb's 
wife,  cleave  to  the  Lord  that  bought  her,  and  say  in 
faith  "my  Lord  and  my  God."  View  him  as  the 
great  "I  AM,  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  Almighty, 
travelling  in  the  greatness  of  his  strength,  speaking 
in  righteousness,  mighty  to  save." 

In  farther  prosecuting  this  subject,  I  have  to  shew 
from  the  Word,  that  Jesus  our  Saviour,  the  Saviour 
of  them  who  are  ready  to  perish,  possesses  divine  and 
incommunicable  perfections,  so  that  men  ought  to 
honor  him  even  as  they  honor  the  Father.  Those 
divine  perfections,  which  will  be  selected  as  sufficient 
for  the  present  occasion,  and  as  embracing  the  sub- 
ject matter  of  this  essay,  are  the  following,  namely, 
Omnipotence,  Omniscience,  Omnipresence  and  Eternity. 

That  the  word  of  God  ascribes  omnipotence  to 
the  Lamb  that  was  slain,  cannot  well  be  doubted  by 
those  who  humbly  read  the  8th  verse  of  the  first  chap- 
ter of  Revelations,  and  compare  it  with  the  11th  and 
13th:  the  8th  verse  read  thus:  "I  am  Alpha  and  Ome- 
ga, the  beginning  and  the  ending,  saith  the  Lord, 
which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the 
Almighty."  And  if  a  doubt  could  for  a  moment  ex- 
ist as  to  who  is  the  speaker,  compare  this  language 
with  what  we  have  in  the  11th  verse.  The  beloved 
John,  to  whom  the  Revelation  was  given,  heard  a 
great  voice  behind  him  "saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Ome- 
ga, the  first  and  the  last;"  and  in  the  13th  verse,  be- 
ing turned  to  see  who  spoke  the  great  and  gracious 
words  that  saluted  his  ears,  he  saw  "seven  golden 
candlesticks,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  can- 
dlesticks, one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man;"  this  is  the 
glorious  speaker  in  the  8th  verse,  the  Mediator  of 
the  New  Covenant,  "he  that  liveth  and  was  dead, 
18."  who  affirms  in  the  17th  verse,  that  he  is  "the 
first  and  the  last."  The  8th  verse  of  the  2d  chapter, 
the  6th  of  the  21st,  the  13th  of  the  22d,  compared 
with  the  16th,  all  speak  the  same  language,  and  un- 
fold and  support  the  same  truth.     Is  it  to  be  believed 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  39 

t.}  any  taught  of  God,  with  his  Bible  in  his  hand  and 
its  truths  in  his  heart,  that  an  absolute  jealous  God, 
who  says  he  will  not  give  his  glory  to  another,  is  the 
speaker  in  the  8th  of  the  first  chapter,  and  that  a 
mere  creature  is  the  speaker  in  the  11th  verse,  and 
in  all  the  before  cited  passages,  setting  up  the  same 
claitns  tlc.it  are  urged  in  the  8th,  "I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  first  and  the-iast.,a  It  thus  appears  fully 
evident,  the  speaker  in  each  case  is  one  and  the 
same,  even  him  who  declares  himself  to  be  "the  Al- 
mighty." And  (as  James  says)  to  this  agree  the 
words  of  the  prophet,  Isa.  ix.  (5.  "To  us  a  child  is 
born,  to  us  a  son  is  given,  the  government  shall  be 
on  his  shoulders,  and  his  name  shall  be  called  fron- 
tier fid,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting 
Father,  the  Frince  of  Peace/9 

Has  the  spirit  of  prophesy  misnamed  the  Saviour 
of  sinners?  no,  verily,  God  (the  Holy  Ghost)  is  a  God 
of  truth,  and  Christ  is  designated  "the  Mighty  God,** 
because  he  is  "the  Mighty  God,  the  Almighty.**  He 
shall  be  called  "the  Mighty  God**  by  the  command 
of  heaven,  not  by  mistaken  men,  as  the  Unitarian 
would  insinuate;  no,  verily,  and  the  believer  in  Je- 
sus can  say  to  his  heart's  joy,  "I  know  whom  I  have 
believed,  and  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep 
that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against  that 
day."  This  is  the  language  of  faith  and  of  truth. 
But  who,  I  would  ask,  is  keeper  of  Israel  but  the 
Mighty  God,  he  "who  fainteth  not,  neither  is  weary, 
whose  understanding  is  unsearchable.**  This  was 
lie  to  whom  the  great  apostle  committed  his  soul,  in 
well  doing,  as  into  the  hands  of  a  faithful  Creator^ 
and  in  thus  committing  his  soul  to  the  keeping  of 
Christ,  he  did  nothing  less  or  more,  than  obey  the 
divine  injunction  and  embrace  the  divine  encourage- 
ment, namely,  "Trust  in  the  Lord  Jehovah,  for  in 
the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength,  he  giveth 
power  to  the  faint,  and  to  those  who  have  no  might 
he  increaseth  itrenerth." 


40  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

If  it  be  possible  to  question  the  correctness  of  the 
foregoing  statements,  as  applicable  to,  and  proofs  of 
the  omnipotence  of  him  who  is  able  to  save  to  the  ut- 
termost, we  may  say  in  his  language,  who  spoke  as 
man  never  spoke,  that  if  his  words  (and  the  words 
of  his  prophets  and  apostles)  are  not  to  be  believed 
as  vouchers  for  his  omnipotence,  "believe  his  'works.99 
What  saith  the  scripture?  "All  things  were  made  by 
him,  and  without  him  was  not  arty  thing  made  that 
was  made."  Yes  "the  world  was  made  by  him, 
though  the  world  knew  him  not."  Thus  speaks  the 
beloved  apostle  John,  chap.  i.  3  and  10.  "The  world 
was  created  by  him."  Thus  speaks  the  apostle  and 
teacher  of  the  Gentiles  in  truth  and  verity,  Coi.  i. 
16,  17.  "By  him  were  all  things  created  that  are  in 
heaven  and  that  are  in  earth,  visihle  and  invisible, 
whether  they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principa- 
lities, or  powers,  all  things  were  created  by  him  and 
for  him,  and  he  is  before  all  things,  and  by  him  all 
things  consist."  And  in  Heb.  i.  3.  we  have  this  all 
important  declaration  touching  him  who  is  "the 
brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and  the  express 
image  of  his  person,"  "Upholding  all  things  by  the 
word  of  his  power.99  Do  not  these  works,  ascribed 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  language  so  explicit,  so 
strong,  so  unequivocal,  namely,  the  creating  the 
world  and  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth;  governing 
the  world;  upholding  the  world,  even  all  things;  and  that 
by  his  word,  his  powerful  word,  the  word  of  his  power. 
Do  not,  I  say,  these  works  of  omnipotence  prove  the 
doer  of  them  beyond  controversy,  to  be  "Almighty 
God,  over  all  God  blessed  for  ever.  Amen."  Of  what- 
ever character  the  works  of  men  are,  we  readily  ac- 
cede to  them  the  possession  of  a  correspondent  quali- 
ty, whether  of  wisdom,  or  power,  or  goodness,  or 
genius,  or  philanthrophy,  or  patriotism,  or  of  what- 
ever description  they  may  be:  so  if  we  see  the  Re- 
deemer performing  the  works  of  omnipotence,  what 
is  it  but  proof  positive,  that  he  possesses  that  attri- 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  41 

bute,  that  incommunicable  attribute  of  infinite  majes- 
ty. Can  any  that  fear  God  doubt  the  important  fact? 
if  it  be  yet  possible,  then  I  would  ask  this  all  impor- 
tant question,  Who  is  the  creator,  governor,  uphold- 
er, and  judge  of  the  world?  Is  not  this  answer  obvi- 
ous and  unavoidable,  "Almighty  God,"  Are  not  the 
works  of  creation  vouchers  for  the  eternal  power  and 
Godhead  of  the  Creator?  Rom.  i.  20."  But  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  creator,  governor,  upholder,  and  judge 
of  the  world,  as  has  been  made  fully  evident;  there- 
fore Jesus  Christ  is  "Almighty  God."  The  premi- 
ses are  self-evident — the  conclusion  is  indisputable. 

It  is  hoped  that  what  has  been  advanced  will  be 
judged  to  be  (as  it  really  is)  amply  sufficient  to  es- 
tablish the  first  position  laid  down,  namely,  that  as  a 
proof  of  Christ's  true  and  proper  divinity,  he  posses- 
ses and  exercises  the  incommunicable  attribute  of 
omnipotence. 

I  am  next  to  show,  from  the  testimony  of  the  di- 
vine oracles,  that  the  adorable,  glorious  and  blessed 
Redeemer  of  the  election  of  grace,  is  "Omniscient 
God;"  or,  in  other  words,  that  he  not  only  possesses 
infinite  power,  but  that  he  also  possesses  "infinite 
wisdom,"  that  he  is  "the  only  wise  God,  and  our  Sa- 
viour." If  to  have  an  intimate  and  perfect  acquain- 
tance with  the  human  heart  be  any  proof  of  omniscience 
or  infinite  wisdom,  our  high  priest,  whose  lips  keep 
knowledge,  gave  ample  proof  of  possessing  that  inti- 
macy. How  oft,  in  the  days  of  his  flesh,  did  he  make 
it  appear,  that  "he  needed  not  that  any  should  testify 
of  man,  for  he  knew  what  w?ts  in  man."  His  disciples 
often  found  it  so  when  they  thought  to  conceal  their 
vain  glorious  reasonings  from  him.  Simon,  the  Pha- 
risee found  it,  when  he  was  indulging  thoughts  to  the 
prejudice  of  his  exalted  guest,  because  he  seemed  dis- 
posed to  notice,  with  compassion,  a  poor  polluted, 
but  mourning  sinner,  at  his  feet — and  the  proud  Pha- 
risees, who  sought  to  entangle  him  in  his  speech, 
found  it,  when  he  thus  rebuked  them,  "I  Know  you, 

% 


42  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

that  yon  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you" — and  a  still 
more  decisive  proof  that  the  Son  of  God,  whose  eyes 
are  like  a  flame  of  fire,  is  the  omniscient  God,  we  have 
in  Rev.  ii.  23,  compared  with  Ps.  vii.  9,  Jer.xi.  20,  and 
particularly  xvii.  10.  In  the  9th  verse  of  this  17th 
chapter,  the  question  is  asked:  Who  can  know  the 
heart  of  man,  which  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and 
desperately  wicked?  The  answer  to  this  highly  im- 
portant question  is  immediately  given  by  him  who  on- 
ly could  give  it;  namely,  the  omniscient  Jehovah — "I 
the  Lord,  search  the  heart;  I  try  the  reins,  even  to 
give  every  man  according  to  his  ways."  The  great 
Jehovah  here  claims  the  exclusive  power  and  prerog- 
ative of  searching  the  heart — "I,  the  Lord,  do  it" — 
none  else  could  do  it,  but  that  God  to  whom  all  things 
are  open  and  naked;  even  him  with  whom  we  have  to 
do,  before  whose  all  pervading  eyes  hell  is  without  a 
covering,  and  from  whom  none  can  hide  himself. — 
Now  let  us  turn  to  Rev.  ii.  23,  and  observe  attentive- 
ly the  close  and  striking  affinity  between  the  language 
of  Jehovah,  Jer.  xvii.  10,  and  that  Rev.  ii.  23,  where 
the  Son  of  God  thus  speaks: — "All  the  churches  shall 
know  that  I  AM  HE  which  searches  the  reins  and 
the  heart;  and  I  will  give  to  every  one  of  you  accord- 
ing to  your  works."  Can  the  speaker  of  these  words 
be  less  than  the  omniscient  God?  Can  or  dare  a  crea- 
ture, however  exalted,  assume  to  himself  the  prerog- 
ative that  Jehovah  claims — to  search  the  heart;  and 
still  further,  to  award  to  men  according  to  their  deeds? 
^o,  certainly  not:  and  as  it  would  be  the  height  of 
blasphemy  and  presumption  in  any  creature  thus  to 
pretend,  so  it  is  a  proof  of  the  most  consummate  ignor- 
ance, blindness  and  perversity,  on  theological  sub- 
jects, to  attribute  such  acts  to  a  creature. 

It  is  most  certainly  the  proper  and  exclusive  act  of 
God,  according  to  Jer.  xxv.  14,  where  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel  speaks  thus — "I  will  recompense  them  ac- 
cording to  their  deeds  and  according  to  the  work  of 
their  hands:"  and  in  Ro.  ii.  6,  it  is  declared  of  God  that 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  45 

<«he  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  deeds.'* 
Thus  it  appears  evident  that  to  search  the  heart  and 
to  punish  evil  is  the  act  of  the  omnipotent  and  omnis- 
cient God:  and  it  is  equally  evident  that  these  godlike 
arts  are  performed  by  Jesus  Christ:  therefore  Jesus 
Christ  is  indisputably  the  omnipotent  and  the  omnis- 
cient God;  and  as  he  declared,  in  the  before  cited  pas- 
sage, Rev.  ii.  23,  that  all  the  churches  should  know 
that  it  was  he  that  searched  the  reins  and  the  heart, 
and  gave  to  every  man  according  to  his  works — so  all 
the  churches  do  know  it:  that  is  to  say,  all  the  churches 
of  the  saints  know  it — But  there  are,  it  is  true,  many 
assemblies,  who  call  themselves  churches,  who  do  not 
know  it — will  not  acknowledge  it — but  pertinacious- 
ly deny  it:  but  then  we  must  not  recognise  such  as  the 
churches  of  Christ,  for  all  his  churches  are  to  know 
it,  and  what  they  know  in  their  hearts  they  confess 
with  their  mouths:  and  on  their  happy  knowledge  of 
the  all  important  fact  is  founded  their  encouragement 
to  call  upon  his  name,  convinced  that,  as  the  omniscient 
God,  he  knoweth  what  they  need,  understands  their 
thoughts  afar  off,  and  even  answereth  their  groan- 
ings  that  cannot  be  uttered.     Happy,  thrice  happy, 
are  the  men  who,  under  such  a  conviction  of,   and 
faith  in  his  sufficiency,  "call  upon  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  our  Lord,  both  theirs  and  ours." — 1  Cor.  i.  2. 
What  has  been  said  on  this  head  might  well  be  ad- 
mitted sufficient  to  prove  the  omniscience  of  Christ, 
without  taking  into  the  account  that  he  manages  and 
directs  all  things  in  the  world  and  in  the  church,  in 
all  ages  and  all  places;  and  finally,  will  judge  that 
world  when  the  mystery  of  God  is  finished,  when  he 
shall  have  accomplished  the  number  of  his  elect,  and 
when  his  infinite  power  shall  have  raised  the  dead, 
which  no  being  but  the  infinitely  wise  God  could  do. 
I  ask  of  whom  is  it  said  that  *'in  wisdom  he  hath  made 
them  all,"  even  all  the  works  of  creation?     Must  not 
this  question  receive  the  following  answer?     «27ie 


44  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ, 

Omniscient  God."  Again:  who  governs  the  worM, 
and  all  things  in  it,  and  directs  the  way  of  his  peo- 
ple and  his  servants,  and  all  their  concerns  of  body 
and  soul,  in  every  point  of  view?  The  answer  to  this 
interrogatory  must  also  he — "The  Omniscient  God." 
Farther  I  ask — who  now  searcheth,  with  infallible 
precision,  the  deceitful  hearts  of  men;  and  who  will 
filially,  in  judgment,  award  to  every  man  according 
to  his  deeds?  The  answer  is  again  evident — The 
Omniscient  God.  Yes,  verily,  God  is  judge  himself: 
but  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  and  our  God,  hath  done, 
doth  do  and  will  do  all  these  divine  acts,  as  hath  been 
fully  shewn — therefore  the  unavoidable  inference  is, 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  omniscient,  the  omniscient  God, 
••over  all  God  blessed  forever — Amen." 

Having  said  thus  much,  which  I  judge  fully  suffi- 
cient to  prove  the  omnipotence  and  omniscience  of 
Christ.  I  shall  next  endeavor  to  shew,  and  I  hope  to  be 
enabled  fully  to  shew,  by  the  authority  of  those  scrip- 
tures that  cannot  be  broken,  that  the  glorious  being, 
in  whora  the  believing  Gentiles  trust,  is  the  " Omni- 
present God" — and  that  he  is  so  is  evident,  if  the  in- 
corruptible word  of  God  is  judge,  which,  among  ma- 
ny other  honorable  testimonies,  bear  witness,  Col.  ii. 
9,  that  <in  him  dwelleth  all  the  fullness  of  the  godhead 
bodily;"  and  in  the  8th  verse,  the  apostle  (who  was  a 
scribe  well  instructed  into  the  kingdom  of  Christ,) 
admonishes  believers  to  "beware  lest  any  man  spoil 
them,  through  philosophy  and  vain  deceit,  after  the 
tradition  of  men,  after  the  rudiments  of  the  world, 
and  not  after  Christ — From  this  it  should  seem,  that 
men  of  corrupt  minds  not  only  then  withstood  the 
truth,  but  that  wise  men  after  the  flesh,  in  after  days, 
would,  through  philosophy  and  vain  deceit,  strive  to 
pervert  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord.  But  to  return 
from  this  partial  digression,  to  the  subject  of  this 
section,  which  is  to  shew  that  Christ  is  an  omnipre- 
sent God.  If  he  did  not  possess  the  incommunicable 
perfection  of  omnipresence,  how  could  it  be  said,  with 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  4 '5 

truth,  that  "the  fulness  of  the  godhead  dwelt  in  him 
bodily,"  or  substantially ;  and  if  he  is  not  omnipresent, 
it  may  with  reverence  he  said,  that  his  own  words  are 
not  worthy  of  credit;  for  in  his  conversation  with 
Nicodemus,  John  iii.  16,  he  declares  that  he  was  in 
heaven  while  conversing  with  him  on  earth.  "No 
man  hath  ascended  up  to  heaven,  but  he  that  came 
down  from  heaven,  even  the  Son  of  Man  which  is  in 
heaven."  Can  words  be  more  explicit  and  full,  to 
prove  the  omnipresence  of  the  Son  of  God?  He  was 
en  earth  and  in  heaven.  Is  this  any  thing  short  of 
saying,  "Do  not  I  All  heaven  and  earth?"  Such  pri- 
vilege (says  Milton)  hath  omnipresence  "to  go,  yet 
stay" — to  come  down  from  heaven,  and  still  to  be  in 
heaven.  Who  but  the  Lord  from  heaven,  who  is  the 
faithful  and  true  witness,  could  with  truth  speak  thus? 
Verily  none.  But  "the  word  who  was  with  God,  and 
who  is  God,"  thought  it  no  robbery  to  be  (in  this  res- 
pect) equal;  that  is  to  claim  equality  with  God — and 
for  this  all  important  justificatory  reason,  "he  is  over 
all  God  blessed  forever.  Amen."  Will  the  Arian,  the 
Socinian,  the  Unitarians,  as  they  are  pleased  to  call 
themselves — will  they,  I  ask,  say  Amen,  to  so  great, 
so  glorious  a  truth?  No,  certainly  not — but  labor  in- 
cessantly to  obscure  and  even  blot  it  out,  if  it  were 
possible;  while  his  people,  who  know  his  name,  (his 
character)  and  put  their  trust  in  him,  who  by  him 
have  been  redeemed  from  all  evil,  add  their  Amen, 
with  the  whole  heart,  and  hail  him  as  universal 
Lord,  worthy  of  all  blessing  and  praise,  to  whom  ev- 
ery knee  shall  bow,  and  "the  end  of  their  conversa- 
tion in  Jesus  Christ  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and 
forever."  Again — does  not  the  Saviour  assert  his 
omnipresence  and  encourage  the  confidence  of  his 
Servants  in  him,  in  all  places  and  at  all  times,  when  he 
says,  "Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  Can  any  one,  but  that  divine  being,  who  is 
every  where  present,  use  such  language?  No,  surely 
not,  except  he  meant  to  deceive,  and  that  be  far  from 


46  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

the  faithful  and  true  witness,  who  was  full  of  grace 
and  truth,  and  by  whom  grace  and  truth  came,  but 
not  falsehood — no  guile  was  found  in  his  mouth. — 
How  would  a  plain  godly  man  understand  these  gra- 
cious words  that  dropt  from  the  lips  of  his  Lord,  es- 
pecially when  his  heart  was  bowed  down  with  trou- 
ble, and  be  was  enabled  to  mix  faith  with  them? — 
Would  he  not  so  understand  them  as  to  induce  him  to 
say,  "heaviness  in  my  heart  hath  long  made  it  stoop, 
but  thy  good  word,  my  Lord  and  my  God,  maketh  it 
glad.'5  Prov.  xii.  25 — Here  is  an  experimental  use  and 
enjoyment  of  a  most  important  truth — for  although 
the  Unitarians  and  carnal  men  of  every  name,  may 
call  it  enthusiasm,  the  believer  in  whose  heart  Christ 
is  formed  the  hope  of  glory,  knows  in  whom  he  has 
believed,  enjoys  fellowship  with  him,  and  is  persuaded 
that  he  is  able  to  keep  him  by  his  power — to  supply 
all  his  needs  out  of  his  fulness — and,  at  last,  to 
present  him  faultless  before  his  throne — because 
he  is  well  assured  that  the  fulness  of  the  godhead 
dwells  in  him  bodily.  Who  but  that  strong  God — the 
omnipotent  God,  could  give  power  to  the  faint;  and 
to  those  who  have  no  might,  increase  strength?  So 
speak  to  his  servants  and  tell  them  his  strength  should 
be  perfected  in  their  weakness,  as  to  enable  them  to 
"glory  most  gladly  in  their  infirmities,  that  the  power 
of  Christ  might  rest  upon  them." — 2  Cor.  xii.  9. 

Who  but  an  all-wise  God  can  search  his  people's 
hearts,  know  all  their  wants,  weaknesses  and  foes,  and 
suit  his  operations  thereto?  And  who  but  a  God  eve- 
ry where  present,  can  comfort  the  souls  of  his  peo- 
ple, in  all  the  tribulation  they  endure,  and  be  to 
them  a  sun  and  shield  in  every  part  of  the  world,  and 
in  every  age,  and  under  every  possible  circumstance? 
Most  certainly,  no  one,  but  an  omnipotent,  omniscient 
and  omnipresent  God,  could  do  these  things.  But  all 
these  doth  the  Redeemer  of  lost  men,  as  has  been  am- 
ply made  manifest,  by  which  he  is  proved  omnipotent, 
omniscient  and  omnipresent,  by  the  express  testimo- 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  47 

ny  of  the  word  of  God,  and  by  the  works  he  hath  per- 
formed, is  now  performing,  and  will  hereafter  per- 
form. Seeing,  then,  that  these  things  are  so,  that 
Christ  is  possessed  of  such  incommunicable  perfec- 
tions, and  doth  such  works  as  declare  and  prove  his 
eternal  power  and  godhead,  is  it  not  proper  to  say, 
"The  God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called,"  Isa. 
liv.  5,  who  is,  in  the  words  I  am  attempting  to  illus- 
trate, "over  all  God  blessed  forever.  Amen."  Be  en- 
couraged then,  oli!  feeble  of  the  flock,  to  believe  that 
he  who  said,  "because  I  live,  you  shall  live  also,"  is 
able  to  make  good  his  words,  so  that  a  feeble  saint 
shall  win  the  day,  though  death  and  hell  obstruct  the 
way;  and  that  he  is  able  to  do  this  berause  "thy  Mak- 
er is  thy  husband,  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  his  name,  and 
thy  Redeemer,  the  holy  one  of  Israel,  "the  God  of 
the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called." 

Lastly  I  am  to  shew  from  the  sacred  volume  of  in- 
spiration, that  this  prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
by  whom  kings  reign,  this  King  of  Kings,  and  Lord 
of  Lords,  is  "the  eternal  God;"  that  he  inhabits  or  is 
possessed  of  eternity,  or  eternal  existence,  as  an  in- 
communicable perfection  of  godhead.  If  we  view  the 
subject  retrospectively  we  find  him  often  declaring, 
"lam  the  first" — "I  am  he  that  was" — before  Abram 
was  I  am" — and  John,  the  Baptist,  bears  this  testi- 
mony— "He  was  before  me" — John  i.  15.  These 
terms,  and  several  others  of  similar  import,  are  used 
to  declare  the  eternity  of  God  our  Saviour,  in  a  re- 
trospective point  of  view.  If  we  look  at  the  subject 
prospectively,  we  find  the  Son  of  God,  whose  eyes  are 
as  a  flame  of  fire,  declaring  "1  am  the  last,"  "the 
Omega,"  "he  that  is  and  is  to  come" — so  that  if  we 
make  the  scriptures  the  man  of  our  counsel,  and  at- 
tempt not  to  be  wise  above  what  is  written,  if  we 
cease  to  lean  to  our  own  understanding,  and  are  con- 
tent to  be  fools  that  we  may  be  wise,  there  will  be  no 
difficulty  in  our  being  brought  to  the  conclusion  of 
the  apostle,  and  expressing  our  thoughts  on  this  lofty 


48  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ, 

subject  in  Ins  language — "Jesus  Christ  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day  and  forever."  O  glorious  truth;  a 
Saviour  eternal  and  unchangeable;  the  same  yester- 
day* to-day  and  forever — "without  variableness  or 
shadow  of  turning."  Well  might  he  say,  "Look 
unto  me  all  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  be  ye  saved,  for 
lam  God9  and  none  else." 

1  his  is  our  "Immanuel,  Ood  with  us,  who  is  over 
all,  God  blessed  for  ever.  Amen." — "Trust  in  him 
then  at  all  times,  ye  people,  pour  out  your  hearts  be- 
fore him;"   and  be   assured  that  such  worship   and 
such  trust  is  not  a  departing  from    the  living   God 
and  trusting  in  man,  for  which  men  are  cursed;   but 
it  is  a  trusting  in  the  strength  of  Israel,  who  is  not 
a  man  merely,  that  he  should  lie,  nor  the  son  of  man, 
that   he  should  change. — His   name  shall  be  called 
"the  Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting  Father,  or  Father 
of  Eternity,  the  Prince  of  Peace."     And  if  God  the 
Father  commanded  the  angelic  host  to  worship  him, 
while  here  in  the  flesh,  saving  "Let  all  the  angels  of 
God  worship  him;"  may  we  not  now  with  the  strict- 
est propriety,  exhort  the  household  of  faith  to  follow 
the  example  of  the  cloud  of  witnesses  gone  before,  in 
the  language  of  holy  writ,  "He  is  thy  Lord,  and  wor- 
ship thou  him."  "Let  prayer  be  made  for  him  conti- 
nually, (that  is  for  the  prosperity  of  his  cause)   and 
daily  let  him  be  praised.     Speak  good  of  his  name, 
and  talk  <»f  all  his  wondrous  works."     And  accord- 
ing to  the  mandate  of  heaven,  "honour  the  Son  even 
as  you  honour  the  Father."     And  though  many  are 
so  blinded  by  the  god  of  this  world,  that  they  cannot 
see  a  truth  so  bright;  yet  let  it  be  your  practice,  as  it 
is  your  privilege  who  trust  in  his  name  to   say,  "we 
know  that  the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us 
an  understanding,    that    we   may  know  him  that  is 
tine,  and  we  are  in  him  that  is  true/even  in  his  Son 
Ji •:-:  is  Christ."     "This  (Jesus  Christ  who  gave   us 
the  understanding    to  know  him)   is  the  true  God, 
and  eternal  life."   1  John,  v.  20.     Who  but  the  true 


Oh  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  49 

God  could  thus  enlighten  the  benighted  mind  of  man, 
that  he  should  know  Him,  whom  to  know  is  eternal 
life?  Let  then  the  children  of  God  declare,  to  the 
honor  of  their  Redeemer,  that  their  fellowship  is  with 
the  Son  as  well  as  with  the  Father,  1  John  i.  3.  and 
that  the  fellowship  they  intend  is  not  that  which  sub- 
sists between  saints,  but  the  fellowship  of  a  believing 
man  with  a  gracious  God,  in  the  enjoyment  of  which 
his  wants  are  poured  into  the  bosom  of  a  friend  that 
loveth  at  all  times,  and  who  is  ever  able  and 
ready  to  supply  him  out  of  his  own  fullness — and 
let  it  be  observed,  this  practice  is  perfectly  consonant 
with  tiie  example  of  ancient  believers,  who  called  up- 
on the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  both  theirs 
and  ours.  Peace  be  on  all  such,  even  on  the  whole 
Israel  of  God. 

Shall  then  the  friends  of  Christ,  with  all  these 
proofs,  and  a  thousand  more,  of  the  true  divinity  of 
God  our  Redeemer — with  all  these  decisive  evidences 
that  "he  is  over  all  God  blessed  forever*5 — shall  they, 
I  say,  hesitate  to  add  their  hearty  and  believing 
Amen — and  dare  to  derogate  from  his  honor,  or  suffer 
others  so  to  do,  without  an  effort  to  stop  the  mouths 
of  gainsayers,  because  in  infinite  commiseration  of 
our  wretchedness,  he  displayed  the  riches  of  his  grace 
in  becoming  poor,  though  rich — in  making  himself 
of  no  reputation,  (though  equal  with  God — in  being 
made  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  taking  upon 
himself  the  form  (or  character)  of  a  servant,  (though 
"Lord  of  "all,")  that  being  found  in  fashion  as  a 
man  he  might  humble  himself  and  become  obedient 
(though  a  son)  even  unto  death — the  death  of  the 
cross?  No,  surely  not — It  would  be  the  height  of 
ingratitude  and  wickedness.  Nor  will  the  believer  in 
Christ  dare  refuse  him  the  honor  due  to  his  adorable 
name;  because,  in  order  to  be  a  merciful  and  faithful 
high  priest  in  things  pertaining  to  God,  to  make  re- 
conciliation for  iniquity,  he  condescended  to  be  made 
like  unto  his  brethren!  God  forbid.  So  far  from  it, 
E 


50  On  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

these  things  inspire  their  confidence  and  call  forth 
their  adoration,  gratitude  and  love,  in  language  like 
this:  "Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive 
power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and 
honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing" — and  for  this  impor- 
tant reason:  "that  in  being  slain  he  redeemed  us  fvsay 
they)  to  God  by  his  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation."  This  is  the  senti- 
ment that  prevails  in  the  grateful  bosom  of  every  be- 
liever in  our  Lord  Christ;  and  none  but  his  enemies, 
who  are  shut  up  in  unbelief,  will  think  of  making  his 
condescension  a  justifiable  pretext  to  disparage,  de- 
grade and  dishonor  him. 

Whenever  the  invincible  grace  and  power  of  God 
turns  the  heart  of  a  sinner  from  disobedience  to  the 
wisdom  of  the  just,  he  is  brought  to  renounce  his  own 
wisdom  and  receive  the  word  of  truth  from  his  mouth, 
who  is  a  priest  after  the  power  of  an  endless  life — the 
Lord  of  life  and  glory — whom,  if  any  man  love  not, 
let  him  be  anathema,  maranatha,  saith  the  apostle. 

"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God9  and  him  only 
shalt  thou  serve" — and  if  any  man  serve  not  and  love 
not  the  Lord  Christ,  he  is  an  enemy  to  all  righte- 
ousness— but  he  that  does  love  and  serve  him,  acts 
in  perfect  conformity  to  the  first  and  greatest  com- 
mand— and  if  such  love  and  obedience  rendered  to 
Christ  was  not  in  conformity  to  that  command  it 
would  be  a  crime;  for  the  command  runs  thus:  "Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou 
serve."  He  then  who  loves  and  serves  Christ,  loves 
and  serves  the  Lord  his  God — so  Thomas  judged, 
when  in  faith  he  thus  addressed  his  risen  Saviour: — 
"My  Lord  and  my  God," 

Thus  it  appears  that,  though  we  cannot  by  search- 
ing find  out  the  Almighty  to  perfection,  yet  if  we  are 
enabled  to  search  for  biblical  knowledge  as  for  hid 
treasure,  it  will  appear  that  the  scriptures  of  truth 
are  replete  with  testimony  upon  testimony,  presented 
in  a  great  variety  of  forms,  to  prove  that  he,  who  was 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  51 

from  above,  and  above  all,  who  tabernacled  among 
us,  as  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief,  is 
••the  Lord  our  Righteousness;  the  true  God  and  Eter- 
nal Life;  the  Almighty  God;  the  all-wise  God;  the 
every  where  present  God;  the  Eternal  God;  over 
all,   God  blessed  for  ever.     Amen." 

To  conclude,  he  that  hath  the  Son  as  the  object  of 
his  trust,  as  the  object  of  his  love,  the  object  of  his 
worship,  reverence  and  obedience;  he  that  thus  hath 
the  Son  dwelling  in  his  heart  by  faith,  as  his  all  and 
in  all,  hath  life;  and  he  that  hath  not  the  Son  thus 
considered,  hath  not  life. 

The  Unitarians'  plea  for  the  exercise  of  candour 
and  charity  towards  them,  cannot  be  heard;  they 
have  no  just,  no  admissible  claim  for  peace;  it  would 
be  dealing  deceitfully  in  the  covenant  and  sinning 
against  the  generation  of  God's  children  to  grant  it, 
in  the  sense  they  plead  for  it,  while  their  rebellion 
against  the  Lord  and  his  anointed  is  so  flagrant,  in 
denying  the  true  divinity  of  his  person,  the  necessity, 
nature,  and  validity  of  his  atonement,  in  expiating 
sin  by  bearing  it  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  and 
thus  satisfying  divine  justice;  and  also  by  their  deny- 
ing the  imputation  of  his  active  obedience,  his  media- 
torial righteousness,  to  them  that  believe,  to  consti- 
tute them  righteous.  Rom.  v.  19.  In  going  about  to 
establish  their  own  righteousness,  the  supposed  digni- 
ty and  rectitude  of  human  nature,  and  freedom  of  the 
human  will,  and  sufficiency  of  human  power  in 
things  pertaining  to  solvation — While  (I  say)  their 
departure  from  and  opposition  to  truth,  and  him  who 
is  the  essential  truth,  is  so  flagrant,  their  plea  for 
candor,  charity  and  peace  cannot  be  heard — for  if 
this  foundation  were  removed,  what  could  the  righte- 
ous do? — other  foundation  can  no  man  lay,  than  that 
which  is  laid,  which  is  Christ  Jesus.  He  is  such  a 
foundation  as  the  believer  needs,  approves  and  loves — 
not  a  sandy  one,  but  a  rock — a  living  and  life  giving 
stone — a  rock  on  which   his  church  is  built.     'Tis 


52  Sn  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

true  he  is  a  rock  of  offence,  and  disallowed  by  thnst 
who  stumble  at  the  word,  being  disobedient — rebels 
against  the  person  and  government  of  Zion's  King. 
Such  would  do  well  to  remember  that  he  hath  said, 
"Whosoever  shall  fall  an  this  stone  shall  be  broken, 
but  on  whomsoever  if  shall  fall,  it  shall  grind  them  to 
powder." 

Christ  then  is  a  rock  of  offence  to  the  wicked  of 
every  name;  but  to  the  godly  of  every  name,  he  is 
"a  sure  foundation,  a  living  and  life  giving  rock;" 
and  every  believer  may  add,  "To  whom  1  have  come, 
being  drawn  by  the  Father,  by  whom  I  have  been 
enlivened;  On  whom  1  am  built  through  the  Spirit, 
who  is  to  me  precious;  and  respecting  whom  I  can 
say  in  faith,  "The  Lord  liveth,  and  blessed  be  my 
rock;  and  let  the  God  of  my  salvation  be  exalted. 
Psa.  xviii.  46.  "And  because  he  lives  I  shall  live 
also." 

To  close  this  essay,  I  ask  in  the  language  of  scrip- 
ture, Psa.  xviii.  31.  "Who  is  God  save  the  Lord?  or 
who  is  a  rock  save  our  God?"  the  answer  must  be  in 
the  negative,  None,  no  one  is  a  rock  save  our  God: 
but  Jesus  Christ  is  a  r  >ck.  Then,  and  therefore,  Je- 
sus Christ  ("the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory") 
"is  our  God,"  "over  all,  God  blessed  throughout  all 
ages.  Jlmen."  Even  so;  "and  blessed  be  his  Holy 
Name"  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen  and  Amen. 

This  is  the  God  the  Christian's  heart  adores, 
In  whom  he  trusts,  to  whom  his  prayer  he  pours; 
Whose  strength  in  weakness  felt  is  perfect  made, 
Whose  grace  in  straits  affords  sufficient  aid, 
Whose  love  preserv'd  him  e'er  he  did  him  call, 
Whose  arms  uphold  him  when  he  else  would  fall. 
From  darkness  into  light  his  soul  he  brought, 
And  with  an  hand  that's  strong  he  hath  him  taught 
To  know  himself  as  lost — and  Christ,  his  God, 
Who  guides  and  feeds  him  by  and  with  his  rod— 
/That  rod  (his  word)  which  is  from  Zion  sent, 
Through  which,  when  own'd  of  God,  lost  men  repent, 


On  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  53 

And  then  by  faith,  (which  doth  by  hearing  come,) 
They  leave  (through  sense  of  need)  their  native  home, 
And  flee  to  Christ,  their  rock  and  hiding  place, 
And  taste  his  dying  love  and  saving  grace. 
Such  gladly  own  him  as  the  "Lord  of  all," 
And  like  the  saints  of  old  upon  him  call, 
As,  on  a.  "potent  "  "wise"  and  "present"  friend, 
"Eternally  the  same" — he  knows  no  end. 


E 


i4H  IB8S41? 


ON    THE 


\IXAIiTE'IkA.1II''&  liOYE  OT  GOB, 


AS   ILLUSTRATED    IN 


BEARING  WITH,  FEELING  FOR,  AND  HEALING 

BABKSMIDIBIBSa 


Tet  lam  the  Lord  thy  God,  from  the  Land  of  Egypt,  and  thou  shalt  knotv 
no  God  but  me,  for  there  is  no  Saviour  beside  me. — Hosea  xiii.  4. 


^Vhoever  is  taught  of  God  to  know  himself  as  a 
lost  sinner,  totally  depraved  and  without  strength, 
and  to  know  also  Christ  crucified  as  the  all  sufficient 
Saviour  of  them  who  are  (sensibly)  ready  to  perish, 
and  who  studies  the  sacred  scriptures  under  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  such 
a  one  will  be  led  to  discover,  to  his  great  comfort, 
many  very  gracious  and  interesting  displays  of  tri- 
umphant grace  and  sovereign  compassion,  not  only 
towards  the  chief  of  sinners  in  th^ir  first  conversion, 
in  plucking  them  as  brands  from  the  everlasting  burn- 
ings; but,  if  possible,  more  eminently  triumphant 
and  sovereign,  in  the  healing  of  the  worst  and  uost 
perverse  of  backsliders,  and  in  ail  the  gracious  steps 


56  On  the  Unalterable  Lore  of  God. 

tending  to  that  happy,  God  honoring,  and  soul  sav- 
ing issue,  by  which  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gra- 
cious, is  so  supereminently  distinguished  from,  and 
exalted  infinite  heights  above  man!  **I  will  not  re- 
turn to  destroy  Ephraim;/or  I  am  God  and  not  man!" 
llosea  xi.  9. 

In  the  preceding  part  of  the  chapter  from  whence 
I  have  selected  my  motto,  (as  in  very  many  parts  of 
God's  gracious  word)  we  have  a  painful  narrative  of 
the  great,  persevering  and  increasing  wickedness,  of 
the  professed  people  of  God  of  that  day,*  they  had 
forsaken  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  they  had  join- 
ed themselves  to  Idols,  and  in  that  they  sinned  more 
and  more!  and  though  God  in  fatherly  displeasure 
chastised  them  with  the  rod  of  men,  visiting  their 
sins  with  the  rod,  and  their  iniquities  with  stripes, 
Psa.  lix.  32.  though  he  made  them  as  the  morning 
cloud  and  early  dew,  as  the  chaff  driven  with  the 
whirlwind,  and  as  smoke  out  of  the  chimney;  yet  his 
unalterable  loving  kindness  never  failed!  he  knew  in- 
fallibly what  was  best  calculated  to  secure  the  honor 
of  his  own  government,  and  commend  most  illustrious- 
ly the  riches  of  his  unsearchable  love  in  Christ!  He 
would  not  therefore  give  the  offenders  up  to  that  judg- 
ment they  so  richly  deserved,  and  of  which  his  enemies 
had  so  often  been  made  the  monuments.  Hear  his  own 
most  gracious  soliloquy  on  the  subject.  "How  shall 
I  give  thee  up  Ephraim?  How  shall  I  deliver  thee 
Israel?  How  shall  I  make  thee  as  Admah?  How  shall 
I  set  thee  as  Zeboam?  Mine  heart  is  turned  within 
me,  my  repentings  are  kindled  together!"  Read  Ho- 
sea  xi.  from  the  7th  verse  to  the  end,  and  it  will  evi- 
dently appear,  that  these  and  other  most  gracious 
words  are  spoken  with  reference  to  a  people  bent  to 
backslide,  none  of  whom  would  exalt  the  Most  High, 
but  compassed  him  about  with  lies  and  deceit;  yet 
the  Lord  our  God  is  Jehovah  and  changeth  not!  and 
therefore  his  refractory  and  offending  family  are  not 
consumed  as  they  deserve!    0  the  riches  of  divine 


&Ti  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God,  57 

grace,  forbearance  and  mercy!  It  is  true,  that  for 
peace  the  froward  have  great  bitterness,  for  in  very 
faithfulness  doth  he  afflict;  but  still  in  love  to  their 
souls,  in  Christ,  and  for  his  sake,  he  casts  all  their  sins 
behind  his  back  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.  The  back- 
slider in  heart  is  indeed  filled  with  his  own  ways,  to 
his  grief,  wounding  and  shame;  but  though  he  has 
shamefully  forgotten  God,  yet  that  God  of  patience, 
against  whom  he  hath  so  foully  and  ungratefully  sin- 
ned, and  by  whom  he  hath  set  so  light,  "doth  earnest- 
ly remember  him  still;"  and  although  the  Lord  speaks 
against  him  and  acts  against  him,  (for  "with  the 
froward  God  will  shew  himself  froward,")  "yet  he 
will  surely  have  mercy  upon  him,"  when  he  has  suit- 
ably chastised  and  humbled  him.  He  hath  said  it, 
whose  word  stands  firmer  than  heaven  and  earth,  one 
jot  or  tittle  of  which  can  never  fall  to  the  ground! 
"What  shall  we  then  say  to  these  things?"  Nothing 
better  can  be  said  than  what  the  apostle  of  the  Gen- 
tiles was  instructed  to  say,  namely:  "If  God  be  for 
us,  who  can  be  against  us?" — and  that  God  is  for  (or 
on  the  side  of)  poor  mourners  in  Zion,  who,  through 
grace,  have  believed  on  his  Son,  cannot  be  doubted;  to 
plead  their  cause,  fight  their  battles,  "deliver  them 
from  him  that  is  stranger  than  they,  and  make  them 
more  than  conquerors,  through  him  that  hath  loved 
them!" 

The  captain  of  our  salvation  (as  Pharoah  said) 
"fighteth  for  Israel  against  the  Egyptians."  Yet  still 
worse  foes  than  the  ancient  Egyptians  are  against  us. 
Yes,  verily,  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil  are  in 
battle  array  against  the  household  of  faith,  the  flock 
of  Christ,  and  especially  against  the  unhappy  wan- 
derers from  his  fold;  but  still  the  good  shepherd's  care 
ceaseth  not,  for  as  sure  as  David  slew  a  lion  and  a 
bear  which  committed  depredations  on  his  flock  which 
was  his  charge,  so  sure,  and  more  effertually,  will 
the  good  shepherd  Christ  Jf'sus,  go  into  the  wilder- 
ness and  seek   "that  lost  sheep  that  is  driven  away, 


58  On  the  Unalterable  Lore  of  God. 

until  he  find  it;"  nor  will   he  set  dogs  to  worry  it; 
but  as  he  knows  how  to  "have  compassion  on  the  ig- 
norant and  those  who  are  out  of  the  way,  he  will  lay 
it   on   his  shoulders,   or  in  his  bosom,  and  bring  it 
back!"  If  it  is  diseased  *»he  will  heal  that  which  is 
sick,"   as  well    as   **restore   that  which  was  driven 
away!"  And  although  the  restored  wanderer  should 
be  so  disfigured  by  disease,  and  its  fleecy  robe  (which 
should  be  always  white)  so  defiled  with  the  filth,  and 
torn  by  the  brambles  of  the  wilderness,  yea,  though 
some  of  its  bones  should  be  so  broken  by    falls  into 
pits,  (for  indeed  "it  is  aland  of  pits  and  snares,";  al- 
though, I  say,  all  these  evils  should  have  combined 
so  to  disfigure  the  poor  culprit,  that  the  sheep  who 
had  been  safely  kept,  and  well  fed,  and  clean  clothed, 
should  hardly  be  able  to  know,  and  proudly  disdain 
to  own  (as  one  of  them)  a  creature  so  disfigured  and 
defiled,   yet  Christ,  the  chief  shepherd,  seeth  not  as 
the  sheep  see;  they  look  upon  the  outward   appear- 
ance, he  looketh   upon  the   heart — the  heart  which 
himself  hath  prepared!    He  heareth  the  wanderer  be- 
moaning himself,   which  is  no  other  than  the  answer 
or  echo  of  the  tongue,  corresponding  with  the  prepar- 
ed state  of  the  heart,  made  soft,  humble  and  contrite, 
and  he  whose  ear  is  never  heavy,  well  understandeth 
the  sighing  of  the  needy!  Perhaps  the  sheep  may  but 
ill  understand  the  bleating  of  the  wounded  and  dis- 
eased, which  in  the  ear  of  a  gracious  God,  and  at  the 
footstool  of  his   mercy,  is  poured  out  thus:  "I  have 
no  rest  in   my  bones  because  of  my  foolishness;  my 
wounds    stink  and    are  corrupt;    my  loins  are  filled 
with   a   loathsome  disease;    my    sore  runneth  in  the 
night  and  ceaseth  not;    I  abhor   myself  in  dust  and 
ashes.  Against  thee  only  have  I  sinned  and  done  this 
evil  in  thy  sight."     4<0   heal  my  backslid  ings,   for- 
give my  sins,  that  the  bones  which  thou  hast  broken 
may  rejoice!" 

The  favoured  and  preserved  sheep  of  the  flock,  I 
have  said,  and  I  know  I  have  said  truly,   do  but   ill 


On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God.  59 

understand,  and  I  may  add,  they  less  credit  the  sin- 
cecity  of  sucli  self  loathini;-  lamentations;  and  though 
the    poor  unhappy  subject  of  them  "wets  his. couch 
with  tears,"  yet  they  suspect  they  are  hut  crocodile 
tears:    so   that  it  sometimes  happens  (and  it  is,  and 
ever  will  remain  for  a  lamentation;  that  the  despised 
and   shunned  subject,  who  would  gladly  lie  down  in 
the  f«>ld   and  partake  of  their  rich  pastures  and  still 
waters,    is    again  driven  to   herd  with  the  goats  and 
the   swine;   and  though  he   cannot   be  satisfied  with 
their  husks  nor  with  their  society,  and  is  driven  to 
say  "wro  is  me,  for  I  dwell  in  Meshek;"  yet  it  rarely 
happens  that  he  can  find  an  eye  that  will  pity  him,  or 
any  who  are  desirous  to  "strengthen  that  which   re- 
mains,  by  even  saying,  "brother,  be  of  good  cheer!* 
so  that  it  appears  as  if  "no  man  cared  for  his  souU* 
Such   is  the  prevalence    of    self    righteousness;  but 
though  men,  even  good  men,  act  thus  reprehensibly, 
disdainful    and  negligent,  for  the  want  of  more  sell 
knowledge  and  more  brotherly  love,  which  would  teach 
them  to   "mourn  with  those  who  mourn,  and  groan 
being  burdened. '     While  men  act  thus,  the  ways  of 
a  sin-forgiving  God  transcend  them  in  wisdom  and 
compassion,  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth! 
for  if  we  attentively  consider  the  tender  language  and 
dealings  of  God  towards  his  backsliding  children,  we 
must  be  constrained  to  exclaim — "His  ways  are  not 
as  our  ways,  nor  are  his  thoughts  as  our  thoughts!"' 
No,  verily,  the  unchangeable  love  of  his  heart,  and 
the   ever-abiding  relation   between    himself  and    his 
people,  enriches  and  emblazons  the  sacred  page,  so  that 
he  who  runs  may  read — Thus  he  speaks  in  unchange- 
able love:  "Yet  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  from  the  land 
cf  Egypt,  and  thou  shalt  know  no  God  but  me,  for 
there  is  no  Saviour  beside  me."     0  most  gracious, 
encouraging  and   supporting  words,  to   him  who  is 
stung  with   self-reproach,  the  frowns    of  men,  and 
scorning  of  those  who  are  at  ease! 

The  relationship  is  indissoluble. "     ••Vet  I  am  the 


60  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God, 

Lord  thy  God,"  notwithstanding  thy  many  provoca- 
tions;"   "yet"   though   thou  hast  forsaken  me  times 
without  number,  though  thou  hast  played  the  harlot 
with    many  lovers;    "yet,"  notwithstanding  all  this 
and  much  more,  still  " !  am  the  Lord  thy  God!"  This 
great   and  glorious  truth  writ    as  with  a  sun-beam, 
and  writ  in  blood,  and  with  blood,  even  the  blood  of 
God's    dear  Son;  this  great  truth,    I  say,   was  most 
mercifully  and   happily  illustrated  in  the  experience 
of  David — a  man  who  had  been  most  signally  favour- 
ed of   God,    and    had  every  thing  bestowed  on  him 
that  heart  or  flesh  could  covet;  yet  he  sinned  with  a 
high  hand  and  a  hardened  heart,  a  "heart  hardened 
through    the  deceitfulness  of  sin;"    for  while  his  va- 
liant and  faithful  worthy  Uriah,  was  jeopardizing  his 
life  in  the  high  places  of  the  field,  and  lighting  his 
battles,  he  i  David)  conspired  against  his  peace,  and 
stole  his  wife! — and   when  his  craft  and    stratagem 
proved  ineffectual  to  hide  his  shame,  he  conspired 
against  his  life,  "and  murdered  him  with  the  sword 
of  the  children  of  Amnion!"     Base  outrage  of  every 
principle  of  honor  as  a  soldier,  as  well  as  of  justice 
as  a  man,  his  iniquity  was  great — not  only  adultery, 
but  blood  guiltiness  was  on  his  head — but  base  and 
aggravated  as  was  the  matter  of  Uriah  and  Bathshe- 
ba,  it  was  not  unpardonable! — but  being  interested  iu 
"that  better  covenant  which  is  established  on  better 
promises,  which  covenant  is  well  ordered  in  all  things, 
and  sure  to  all  the  seed."     A  prophet  was  in  God's 
good  time,  sent  to  rebuke  him  for  his  iniquity,  and  to 
be  instrumental  in  the  hand  of  tiie  Spirit,  to  bring 
him  to  a  sense  of  his  sin,  and  to  repentance  not  to  be 
repented  of;  and  this  was  done  by  a  judicious  and  ap- 
propriate parable,  dictated  to  the  prophet  no  doubt 
by  infinite  wisdom;  so  that  the  guilty  monarch  pass- 
ed judgment  on  himself,  saying,  "The  man  that  hath 
done  this  shall  surely  die.:'     The  man  that  could  be 
base   and  selfish  enough  to  violate  every  law  of  God 
and  man,  by  taking  his  neighbour's  "only  lamb  which 


On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God.  61 

lay  in  his  bosom,  and  was  unto  him  as  a  daughter," 
to  feed  a  traveller  when  he  had  a  large  flock  of  his 
own.  Such  a  man,  saith  he,  that  could  do  this,  shall 
6iirely  die!  it  is  not  fit  that  such  a  monster  of  base- 
ness should  live!  And  had  this  royal  delinquent  been 
informed  that  this  neighbour  thus  robbed  of  his  all, 
was  a  good,  a  faithful,  a  devoted  friend,  and  actual- 
ly serving  his  robber,  at  the  hazard  of  his  life;  while 
this  ingrate,  like  a  prowling  wolf,  was  breaking  into 
his  unguarded  fold  and  robbing  him  of  his  most  es- 
teemed earthly  blessing!  had,  I  say,  this  transgres- 
sor been  informed  of  these  facts,  we  may  fairly  pre- 
sume that  his  indignation  would  have  increased  se- 
ven fold;  lie  would  have  been  ready  to  have  used  a 
form  of  speech  at  that  time  common — "God  do  so  to 
me  and  more  also,  if  such  a  man  shall  live  to  seethe 
morning  light!"  But  0!  how  insensible  to  the  horrid 
turpitude  of  his  own  crimes,  infinitely  worse  than  the 
letter  of  the  parable,  of  which  he  supposed  some  other 
man  to  be  the  transgressor:  alas!  how  ready  are  ma- 
ny to  cast  a  stone  at  an  offender  when  not  convict- 
ed in  their  own  consciences;  but  let  it  be  observed,  a 
forwardness  to  condemn  others  is  no  proof  of  inno- 
cence, but  rather  of  insensibility  and  hard-hearted- 
ness!  It  was  the  case  in  the  accusers  of  the  woman 
taken  in  adultery,  who  appears  to  have  found  mercy 
at  the  hand  of  Christ,  and  it  was  evidently  the  case 
in  David!  but  how  must  he  have  felt  ashamed  and 
confounded  before  God  and  man,  when  the  honest 
prophet  shewed  him  the  application  of  the  parable  to 
his  case,  thus — "Thou  art  the.  man!"  Thou  who  hast 
been  so  ready  to  devote  to  death  the  unfeeling  de- 
predator, thou  art  the  man  that  hast  done  all  that  my 
parable  contains  and  intends.  O!  how  must  the  mat- 
ter of  Uriah  and  Bathsheba  have  rushed  upon  his 
mind,  with  all  the  aggravating  circumstances,  the 
attendant  evils  of  his  two  capital  crimes — adultery  and 
murder! — however  insensible  before,  he  was  now 
made  to  feel  a  truth  afterwards  uttered  bv  his  son  So- 
F 


6S  On  the  Unutterable  Lore  of  God. 

lomon:  "A  wounded  spirit  who  can  bear."  But  all 
conquering  grace  softened  his  heart,  preserved  him 
from  maltreating,  and  bowed  his  soul  to  the  severe 
rebukes  of  his  faithful  monitor  the  prophet,  who  not 
only  told  him  he  was  <*the  man,"  the  guilty  rich  man, 
who  had  cruelly  robbed  the  poor  man — but,  to  en- 
hance his  crimes  in  his  own  view,  he  reminds  him  of 
all  the  Lord  had  done  for  him  in  anointing  him  king 
over  Israel — delivering  him  from  Saul — giving  him 
his  house  and  his  wives  into  his  bosom — and  then  ex- 
postulates faithfully  with  him  on  ti.e  enormity  of  his 
crimes — in  despising  the  commandment  of  the  Lord — 
murdering  his  faithful  servant  and  soldier  Uriah,  and 
defiling  his  wife.  If  any  crimes  could  have  stopped 
the  current  of  unchangeable  love  towards  a  foul  back- 
slider, one  might  have  supposed  that  these  would: 
their  character  was  extremely  heinous,  of  the  highest 
and  foulest  turpitude.  The  circumstances  under 
which  they  were  committed  were  peculiarly  aggra- 
vating, and  quite  destitute  of  any  extenuating  ingre- 
dients. But,  deep  dyed  as  were  his  crimes,  and  they 
were  certainly  very  deep,  of  a  crimson,  of  a  bloody 
hue,  yet  love  divine,  all  love  excelling,  love  that  is 
stronger  than  death,  that  love  of  the  Father  that  did 
not  spare  his  Son,  that  love  of  the  Son  that  impelled 
him  to  give  up  himself  and  pour  out  his  soul  unto 
death,  to  be  numbered  with  transgressors,  and  to  bear 
the  sin  of  many — such  love  is  not  to  be  arrested  in 
its  operations,  in  its  emanations  and  out-goings  to- 
wards the  guilty — It  must  not  be! — it  cannot  be! — 
where  sin  did  so  grossly  abound,  to  the  injury  of  men 
and  the  dishonour  of  God,  by  giving  his  enemies  so 
«reat  occasion  to  blaspheme,  there  did  grace  much 
more  abound  to  the  humbling  and  restoring  the  of- 
fender—for. let  it  be  observed,  that  when  the  prophet 
had  proceeded  to  shew  David  the  great  evils  he  had 
committed,  the  heavy  and  severe  chastisements  he 
had  procured  to  himself,  and  when  the  guilty  doer, 
from  a  heart-felt  sense  of  his  extreme  vilcness,  was 


On  the  Unalterable  Lore  of  God.  63 

brought  humbly  and  honestly  to  confess  the  evil  of 
his  doings  thus:  »•!  have  sinned  against  the  Lord. " 
Immediately  the  prophet  delivers  his  consoling  mes- 
sage from  that  God  against  whom  David  had  so  great- 
ly sinned,  even  that  God  who  "delights  to  multiply  to 
pardon,  and  to  pass  by  the  transgressions  of  the  rem- 
nant of  his  heritage,"  thus:  "The  Lord  hath  also  put 
away  thy  sin,  thou  shall  not  die."  2  Sam.  xii.  13.  O 
what  astonishing  and  gracious  words!  full  of  grace, 
free,  rich,  triumphant  grace,  such  "soft  words  break 
the  bone,"  and  sweetly  dissolve  the  heart  of  stone! — 
The  proud  Pharisee  may  gnash  his  teeth,  hut  "grace 
will  reign  through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life,  by 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,"  "who  was  made  sin  for  us, 
who  knew  no  sin,  that  we  might  be  made  the  righte- 
ousness of  God  in  him." 

Thus  did  the  Lord  in  rich  mercy  say  to  David,  and 
he  hath  said  it  to  thousands,  and  will  say  it  to  thou- 
sands more.  "Yet  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God."  Though 
thou  hast  done  evir  as  thou  could,  for  which  I  have 
visited,  and  will  yet  visit  with  a  severe  rod;  *'yct  I 
change  not — the  thoughts  of  my  heart  stand  fast  for 
a  thousand  generations — I  know7  the  thoughts  that  ) 
think  towards  you — thoughts  of  peace  and  not  of  evil;" 
for  "yet  (after  all)  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  thou  shalt 
know  no  God  but  me" — "I  will  purge  you  from  your 
dross  and  your  tin."  Neither  pleasures,  nor  honors, I  nor 
riches  shall  be  your  God.  J  will  bring  you  to  say 
from  the  heart — "What  have  I  any  more  to  do  with 
idols."  "Thou  shnlt  know  no  God  but  me,"  for  this 
most  gracious  and  all  important  reason:  "There  is 
no  Saviour  beside  rac."  What  glorious  gospel!  what 
soul  saving  and  God  honoring  truth!  That  a  believ- 
ing man  should  say  what  have  I  any  more  to  do  with 
idols— or,  in  the  language  of  Peter,  "To  whom  (else) 
Lord  shall  we  go,  thou  hast  Hie.  words  of  eternal  fife." 
This,  I  say.  is  in  some  sense  natural,  because  the  sin- 
ner has  his  interest  in  it;  but  for  the  ever  blessed  God 
to  resolve,  that  an  unworthy,  ungrateful  creature,  a 


64  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God. 

creature  bent  to  backslide,  should  know  no  God  but 
himself,  that  he  would  chasten  him  out  of  every  refuge 
of  lies,  and  not  suffer  him  to  settle  on  his  lees  final- 
ly, because  nothing  can  do  him  real  good,  no  one 
save  him  from  real  evil  but  himself;  -there  is  no  Sa- 
viour beside  me."    0!  this  is  matchless  grace! 

And  while  we  contemplate  this  most  astonishing, 
grand,  and  interesting  display  and  triumph  of  free, 
sovereign,  immutable  and  all-conquering  grace,  and 
unbounded  mercy  in  Christ  to  eternal  life,  towards 
a  man  so  highly  favoured  and  greatly  honored,  to 
be  a  prophet  and  a  king,  and  who  had  so  foully  and 
inexcusably  transgressed;  while,  I  say,  we  contem- 
plate this  illustration  of  unchangeable  love,  it  is  no 
unimportant  circumstance  to  consider  that  the  perpe- 
trator of  such  heinous  crimes,  contrasted  with  the 
possession  of  such  superlative  favours,  was  not  in  his 
future  life  (after  brought  to  repentance)  degraded 
isora  his  high,  honorable  and  important  office,  either 
that  of  king,  or  more  especially  thnt  of  a  prophet: 
in  which  as  the  sweet  singer  of  Israel,  he  was  till  his 
dying  day,  usefully  employed  of  God,  and  his  labours 
>H11  continue  to  be  abundantly  owned  of  God,  to  com- 
fort all  that  mourn,  until  the  end  of  time!  witness 
that  invaluable  poem  the  51st  psalm,  which  appears 
to  have  been  wrote  immediately  after  God  had  brok- 
en his  heart  for  sin,  (see  the  title)  in  which  psalm 
we  have  the  most  earnest  pleadings  for  mercy  and 
all-subduing  grace!  the  most  candid  and  ingenuous 
confessions  of  sin  and  depravity,  entreaties  for  the 
abiding  and  renewing  influence  of  the  holy  Spirit; 
and  in  the  12th  verse  he  pi  ads  cogently  with  his 
gracious  God  to  restore  to  him  the  joys  of  his  salva- 
tion, which  he  had  deservedly  and  painfully  lost;  but 
not  only  did  he  pray  for  the  renewed  enjoyment  of 
such  heavenly  and  inexpressible  pleasures,  but  to 
shew  how  much  he  felt  his  weakness,  and  how  much 
he  desired  to  be  kept  in  his  future  life  from  ever} 
presumptuous  sin  and  from  secret  faults,  he  humbly* 


On  the  Vnalterahle  Love  of  God.  65 

but  earnestly,  entreats  to  be  kept  in  the  way  in  which 
he  should  go;  hence  he  adds  to  the  former  petition 
this  most  important  and  equally  needful  one:  "And 
uphold  me  with  thy  free  Spirit!"  and  then  observe 
what  he  proposes  as  the  result  of  God's  answering 
these  petitions,  "Then  will  I  teaoh  transgressors 
thy  ways."  O  how  would  the  proud  Pharisee  chafe 
at  this,  and  how  would  the  leaven  of  pharisaism  in 
good  men  ferment  at  a  similar  declaration  and  in- 
tention now, —  You  teach!  they  would  be  ready  to  ex- 
c\ai  n9you9  who  have  done  so  much  to  dishonor  God, 
grieve  the  godly,  and  cause  the  ungodly  to  triumph; 
you  presume  to  exhort  men  to  walk  circumspectly, 
who  have  walked  so  loosely  yourself;  you  enforce  it 
on  men  to  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lust,  when 
you  have  done  so  much  evil  to  gratify  your  own  lusts; 
yes,  says  the  restored  penitent,  I  will  teach,  I  who 
have  done  all  you  accuse  me  of  and  much  more,  I  will 
take  shame  to  myself  who  am  but  a  dead  dog,  see- 
ing my  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God,  who  "hath  put 
away  my  sin"  and  said  that  "I  shall  not  die."  I, 
even  I,  will  teach  transgressors  his  ways,  even  the 
ways  of  an  infinitely  gracious  God,  in  chastening, 
and  restoring  backsliding  transgressors;  and  who 
more  fit  (I  ask)  if  God  see  good?  I  am  converted,  or 
reconverted  may  such  a  one  say,  why  should  not  I 
try  to  strengthen  my  brethren,  as  an  instrument  in 
his  hands,  who  "strengthened  the  spoiled  against 
the  strong,  and  taketh  the  prey  from  the  mighty!"  I 
also  will  teach  transgressors  who  are  yet  in  their 
sins,  the  way  of  life;  I  will  preach  Christ  the  way, 
the  truth,  and  the  life,  in  all  the  dignity  and  suita- 
bility of  his  person,  the  perfection  and  efficacy  of  his 
work, — in  living  obediently — in  dying  patiently — m 
rising  victoriously,  and  in  ascending  triumphantly, 
"leading  captivity  captive,  and  receiving  gifts  for  men* 
even  for  the  rebellious,  that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell 
amongst  us."  This  says  the  man  who  hath  obtained 
health  and  cure!  This  I  will  do,  e:race  enabling  me; 
F2 


b6  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God, 

and  though  many  may  despise,  and  some  oppose,  it 
shall  in  the  issue  be  evident,  that  God  hath  chosen  the 
base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are  des- 
pised hath  God  chosen,  with  this  important  object  in 
view — that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence— «-but 
that  the  excellence  and  the  power  may  evidently  ap- 
pear to  be  of  God,  and  not  of  men! — and  these 
things  (namely,  the  foul  deeds  of  God's  own,  and  the 
extension  of  mercy  to  them,  in  restoring  and  employ- 
ing them  for  others  good,)  are  written  for  our  in- 
struction, on  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are  come, 
that  we  may  learn  not  to  be  high  minded  but  fear, 
not  to  despise  but  pity,  not  repulsively  to  say  stand  by 
thyself,  but  receive  them  for  Christ's  sake,  as  God 
hath  received  them.  But,  before  I  dismiss  this  grand 
illustration  and  proof  of  the  unalterable  love  of  God, 
towards  the  objects  of  his  choice  in  Christ,  I  must 
notice  the  confidence  that  this  foul  offender,  but  god- 
ly mourner,  expresses,  that  his  future  efforts  will  be 
owned  of  God  for  great  usefulness.  Then,  when 
God  is  pleased  to  restore  to  me  the  joys  of  his  salva- 
tion, and  will  graciously  deign  to  uphold  me  with  his 
free  spirit — "Then  will  I  teach  transgressors  his 
ways,  and  sinners  shall  be  converted  unto  him!"  This 
some  would  judge  to  be  the  very  climax  of  arrogance, 
that  a  man  who  had  so  basely  despised  the  command- 
ment of  the  Lord,  should  dare  to  hope  for.  and  con- 
fidently anticipate,  such  an  honorable  employ  and  ex- 
tensive usefulness,  when  so  many  who  are  so  h.oly 
and  so  good,  at  least  in  their  own  eyes,  are  unemploy- 
ed, or,  if  employed,  totally  useless.  God  will  have 
it  so,  that  the  first  may  be  last,  and  the  last  first — the 
one  "is  as  a  cloud  that  drops  down  fatness, "  his 
heart  being  enriched  with  mercy  and  truth,  while  the 
ether  "is  as  a  cloud  without  rain" — and  who  art  thou, 
O  man,  that  repliest  against  God,  who  seeth  not  as 
men  see,  whose  ways  are  unsearchable,"  and  infinite- 
ly transcend  the  ways  of  men,  or  David  would  never 
have  been  so  usefully  employed  after  he  had  so  base- 


On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God.  CT 

] y  played  the  traitor,  nor  would  Peter  either,  after  he 
had  so  falsely,  so  profanely,  so  ungratefully,  so  wick- 
edly denied  his  Lord,  ever  been  employed  "to  teach 
and  preach  Jesus  and  his  unsearchable  riches,  to 
comfort  the  mourners,  to  strengthen  his  brethren,  to 
warn  the  unruly,  and  comfort  the  feeble  minded" — 
never,  I  say,  would  this  have  been  witnessed,  had  not 
God's  ways  been  infinitely  above  ours,  and  had  he 
not  been  determined  "to  stain  the  pride  of  men,  and 
commend  the  riches  of  his  own  sovereign  grace,  by 
shewing  forth  a  pattern  of  all  long  suffering," — not 
in  David  only,  but  also  in  Peter,  in  whom  we  see  an 
astonishing  proof  of  the  unalterable  love  of  God,  which 
is  the  subject,  the  pleasing  and  profitable  subject  of 
this  essay' 

Peter's  conduct  appears,  to  the  view  of  men,  but 
little  short  in  criminality  to  that  of  Judas,  who  went 
hardened  to  his  own  place,  while  Peter  was  melted 
into  contrition  by  a  look,  of  divine  compassion,  and 
must  tenderly  dealt  with  by  the  merciful  High  Priest 
of  our  profession,  who  looketh  on  the  heart  and  exer- 
ciseth  compassion  on  those  who  are  (turned  by  temp- 
tation) out  of  the  way.  And  the  man  who  knows  "the 
plague  of  his  heart,"  and  the  baneful  influence  of  Sa- 
tan's devices,  and  the  snares  of  the  world,  will  say 
with  gratitude — "Such  a  High  Priest  became  us" — 
was  indispensably  needful  for  us — everlasting  shame 
and  confusion  would  have  been  the  consequence  if 
we  had  not  had  such  a  High  Priest — "a  great  High 
Priest — higher  than  the  heavens,  who  ever  liveth  to 
make  intercession,"  consecrated  to  his  priestly  office 
by  the  oath  of  God,  even  that  oath  which  made  the 
Son  a  Priest  forevermore,  according  to  the  power  of 
an  endless  life.  This  Son,  who  is  king,  judge  and 
lawgiver,  over  his  own  house  the  church,  not  only  par- 
doned his  offending  servant  Peter,  but  commanded 
him  "to  feed  his  sheep,  and  his  lambs,  and  strengthen 
his  brethren,"  as  a  fruit  and  proof  of  his  love  towards 
his  Lord.  John  xxi.  15,  16,  17. — and  we  do  not  find 


68  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God. 

that  this  profusion  of  unchanging  love  and  divine 
compassion  was  ever  abused  by  Peter  or  his  friends; 
nor  does  it  appear  that  either  friends  or  foes  made 
his  former  failings  matter  of  reproach  against  him, 
neither  does  it  appear  to  have  been  any  hinderance 
to  his  usefulness,  though  his  labors  were  principally 
among  the  circumcision,  a  people  to  w  horn  the  nature 
of  his  conduct  was  well  known — but  it  seems  that  a 
dog  was  not  suffered  to  move  his  tongue  against  him; 
so  that  we  have  not  only  another  notable  instance  in 
the  case  of  Peter,  of  the  unalterable  love  of  God,  ex- 
em  plified  in  the  bearing  with,  feeling  for,  and  Stealing 
of  a  backslider,  but  in  addition  to  that  we  have  an- 
other striking  instance  of  wonderful  condescension  in 
employing  a  man  who  had  committed  such  serious 
offences  as  an  instrument  to  promote  his  glory,  by 
spreading  his  truth  and  his  fame  in  the  world,  call- 
ing in  his  elect  from  the  four  winds  of  heaven,  and 
feeding  and  strengthening  the  household  of  faith!  O, 
sirs,  look  and  wonder  at  this  stupendous  grace,  and 
be  assured,  as  a  matter  of  great  encouragement,  that 
this  is  not  a  solitary  instance,  "for  many  such  things 
are  w  ith  him" — and  what  ought  to  be  the  sentiment 
and  language  of  the  godly,  while  with  grateful  amaze- 
ment they  are  led  to  contemplate,  and  admire  such 
brilliant  displays  of  unfathomable  compassion  and 
divine  sovereignty,  either,  in  ancieut  or  modern  times? 
but  this — "Even  so  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in 
thy  sight.'"  Thy  will  be  doner9 

True  it  is,  that  the  man  who  is  a  mouth  for  God, 
should  be  of  good  report;  but  this  cannot  be  under- 
stood as  to  bear  on  the  whole  of  his  past  life,  even 
since  he  has  professed  himself  a  friend  of  Christ,  a 
lover  of  truth  and  of  good  men.  If  it  were  so  to  be 
understood,  it  would  have  imposed  eternal  silence  on 
David-  on  Solomon,  on  Peter,  and  on  many  of  the 
most  nseful  in  the  church  of  Christ  in  modern  times. 
The  man  who  hateth  instruction  (to  speak  in  the  lan- 
guage of  scripture)  is  a  wicked  man,  and  ought  not 


On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God.  6& 

to  declare  God's  statues,  or  take  bis  covenant  in  his 
mouth,  but  (to  set  an  extreme  case)  the  broken  heart- 
ed sinner  who  fell  by  sin  yesterday,  and  is  restored  by 
grace  to-day,  may  teach  transgressors  God's  ways 
to-morrow,  in  hope  of  the  conversion  of  sinners  with- 
out any  infraction  of  any  law  of  God!  His  fall  may 
by  others,  and  will  by  the  subject  himself,  be  deep- 
ly and  long  regretted  and  lamented,  and  all  the  god- 
ly ought  from  tie  heart  to  join  in  this  request  to  God 
and  man — Tell  it  not  in  Gath,  publish  it  not  in  the 
streets  of  Askelon,  lest  the  Philistines  triumph,  lest 
the  daughters  of  the  uneircumcised  rejoice!  yet  the 
writer  of  this  feels  fully  satisfied  that  the  sentiment 
above  stated  is,  and  the  practice  would  be,  perfectly 
correct,  notwithstanding  the  advocates  of  the  doctrine 
of  expediency  might  suggest  a  different  line  of  con- 
duct* being  guided  by  their  own  misconception,  ra- 
ther than  the  word  of  God!  But  to  return  from 
this  digression  to  the  professed  subject  of  this  essay, 
namely,  "The  unalterable  love  of  God,  as  illustrated 
in  his  bearing  with,  feeling  for,  and  healing  of  back- 
sliders;" a  doctrine  not  cot  fine  I  to  a  few  individual 
in solated  cases,  but  graciously  diffused  through,  and 
blended  with,  nay  more,  constituting  a  material  and 
necessary  part  of  "the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed 
God!"  We  have  a  most  beautiful  exemplification  of 
this  doctrine,  in  all  its  interesting  particulars,  in  Jer. 
xxxi.  18,  19,  20. — "1  have  surely  heard  Ephraim 
bemoaning  himself  thus:  Thou  hast  chastised  me,  and 
I  was  chastised  as  a  bullock  unaccustomed  to  the 
yoke.  Turn  thou  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned,  for  thou 
art  the  Lord  my  God.  Surely  after  that  I  was  turn- 
ed, I  repented;  and  after  that  I  was  instructed,  I 
smote  upon  my  thigh:  I  was  ashamed,  yea,  even  con- 
founded, because  1  did  bear  the  reproach  of  my  youth! 
Is  Ephraim  my  dear  son?  Is  he  a  pleasant  child? — 
for  since  I  spake  against  him,  I  do  earnestly  remem- 
ber him  still — therefore  my  bowels  are  troubled  for 
him;  I  will  surely  have  mercy  on  him,  saith  the  Lord'" 


70  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God. 

The  character  about  whom  tins  gracious  language  is 
employed,  had  foully  offended  as  a  backsliding  heifer, 
drawing  back  from  the  yoke — but  God  "saw  his  ways, 
and  was  graciously  determined  to  heal  him;  but  he 
first  chastised  him  as  bullocks  are  chastised  when 
they  refuse  to  bow  the  neck  to  the  yoke;  and  God  so 
accompanied  the  strokes  he  inflicted  with  humbling 
grace,  that  self-loathing  and  bemoaning  himself  en- 
sued— but  had  not  God  given  more  grace  to  soften  the 
heart,  he  would  have  gone  on  frowardly  in  the  way 
of  his  heart;  but  when  grace  operated,  the  stubborn 
and  disobedient  heart  became  contrite,  and  God  kind- 
ly notices  the  fruit  of  his  own  grace — "I  have  surely 
heard  Ephraim  bemoaning  himself!"  As  the  seed  de- 
posited by  the  careful  seedsman  beneath  the  earth, 
when  it  has  received  the  fertilizing  shower  and  genial 
influence  of  the  sun,  swells,  vegetates  and  bursts  the 
incumbent  clod,  and  as  leaven   hid  by  the  assiduous 
housewife  in  the  meal,  ferments  and  transfuseth  its  in- 
fluence through  the  whole  mass,  so  grace,  while  it 
operates,  subdues  refractoriness,  and  kindly  produces 
every  humble,  contrite  and  suitable  disposition  of  the 
heart,  that  the  subject  justifies  God  and  takes  shame 
to  himself;  so  did  Peter,  so  did  David,  so  did  Ephra- 
im; men  might   have  questioned  the   sincerity  of  his 
penitential  tears,  but  God  acknowledges  them,  as  the 
fruit  of  his  own  grace,  thus:    "I,  who  cannot  err,  I 
have  surely  heard  Ephraim  bemoaning  himself  thus;" 
and  this  self  loathing  was  accompanied  with  a   deep 
sense  of  his  helplessness,   hence  he  pleads  thus  with 
God:  "Turn  thou  me  and  I  shall  be  turned,  for  thou 
art  the  Lord  my  God."    From  this  petition  we  may 
learn,  that  without  God  we  can  do  nothing.    A  heart 
to  loath  ourselves  and  bemoan  our  condition,  and  pow- 
er to  turn  to  him  who  sniteth  us,  is  from   God.  and 
the  sensible  sinner  is  made  to  feel  it,  both  in  his  first 
awakenings  and  in  all  his  after-delinquencies.  "Turn 
thou  me  and  I  shall  be  turned,"  says  the  poor  back- 
slider: and  when  faith  is  in  exercise  he  enn  add:  "For 


On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God.  71 

thou  art  the  Lord  my  God" — thus  supporting  his 
plea  from  the  consideration  of  that  blessed,  gracious 
and  indissoluble  relationship,  subsisting  between  God 
and  himself,  or,  as  the  Psalmist  words  his  plea:  *»I 
am  thine,  save  me" — a  plea  that  is  never  finally  urg- 
ed in  vain.  In  the  case  of  Ephraim  now  under  con- 
sideration, we  find  this  noble  plea  was  available.  God 
granted  hisn  the  humble  and  urgent  request  of  his 
soul,  hence  we  find,  in  relating  his  after  experience, 
he  say.1:,  "Surely*  after  that  i  was  turned,  I  repent- 
ed;" so  did  Peter,  and  wept  bitterly  too.  But  when 
did  he  thus  weep?  when  the  Lord  his  God  looked  up- 
on him,  and  when  Peter  looked  on  him  whom  he  had 
pierced,  then  he  mourned;  b  it  no  man  can  mourn 
after  a  godly  sort;  no  man  can  evangellically  repent, 
until  divine  all-conquering  grace  has  broken  and 
turned  his  heart;  so  that  every  converted  sinner,  and 
every  restored  backslider,  will  say,  "Surely  after 
that  I  was  turned  I  repented;"  and  when  b%v  all  these 
wonderful  dealings  and  teachings  of  God,  he  had 
learned  much  of  his  own  vilencss,  and  the  exceeding 
sinfulness  of  sin,  of  his  sin,  and  also  much  of  the  su- 
peraboundings  of  divine  compassion,  in  restoring  him 
from  the  error  of  his  ways,  we  find  him  in  a  parox- 
ysm of  godly  surprise  and  astonishment  at  his  own 
baseness,  and  God's  great  goodness,  smiting  on  his 
thigh,  as  though  he  would  say,  what  a  wretch  to  sin 
against  so  much  goodness!  what  a  God  in  Christ,  to 
pardon  so  much  iniquity,  trangression  and  sin!  "Af- 
ter I  was  instructed  I  smote  upon  my  thigh;"  but  not 
till  he  was  instructed,  he  saw  nothing,  and  felt  no- 
thing amiss  before;  but  when  God  had  "opened  his 
car  for  discipline,  and  sealed  his  instruction,"  then, 
says  he,  "I  was  ashamed,  yea,  even  confounded,  be- 
cause I  did  bear  the  reproach  of  my  youth." 

Thus  is  the  saved  sinner  and  the  restored  wanderer 
overwhelmed  with  surprise,  shame,  confusion  and  self 
reproach,  and  sometimes  with  the  reproach  of  others; 
but  to  him  who  is  afflicted,  pity  should  be  shewed  by 


72  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God. 

his  friends,  who  ought  not  to  speak  to  the  grief  of 
those  whom  God  has  wounded.  The  world  indeed 
will  do  it,  not  because  they  disapprovals,  much  less  la- 
ment his  evil  deeds,  but  because  he  is  delivered  from 

them,  and  says  that  God  is  his  Father,  in  Christ 

They  look  upon  him  as  a  kind  of  double  deserter;  first 
from  God  to  them,  and  now  from  them  to  God;  and 
this  his  last  act  is,  in  their  estimation,  the  worst  of- 
fence— not  knowing  or  considering  that  "this  turning 
about  is  from  the  Lord*' — they  will  therefore  reproach 
him,  for  "the  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked  are  cruel." 
But  the  godly  should  not  reproach  the  repenting  pro- 
digal, because  their  God  and  Saviour  doth  not.  **He 
giveth  (and  forgiveth)  liberally,  and  upbraideth  not." 
And  now,  having  contemplated  the  exercise  of  the 
restored  wanderer,  under  all  those  operations  which 
flow  from  the  unalterable  love  of  God,  it  is  highly  im- 
portant to  observe,  how  a  gracious,  sin-forgiving, 
covenant  God  describes  his  own  feelings  on  the  sub- 
ject: *IsEphraimmydearson?  Is  he  a  pleasant  child? 
For  since  I  spake  against  him,  I  do  earnestly  remem- 
ber him  still — therefore  my  bowels  are  trouble  for 
him — I  will  surely  have  mercy  upon  him,  saith  the 
Lord."  Be  astonished,  O  heavens,  and  wonder,  O 
earth,  at  this  developement  of  the  fulness  of  divine 
compassion!  This  copious  emanation  of  the  unalter- 
able love  of  God  in  Christ!  This  is  indeed  "love  di- 
vine, all  love  excelling."  The  subject  contemplated 
is  a  foul  backslider — God  rebuking  him — speaking 
against  him,  and  chastising  him  severely  for  his 
frowardness;  and  yet,  all  the  while,  feeling  that  sym- 
pathy, that  commiseration,  that  working  of  compas- 
sion towards  him,  that  indicated  a  special  relationship 
existing.  Hence  the  Lord  stoops  to  our  infirmities, 
and  condescendingly  enquires — "Is  Ephraim  my  dear 
son?  Is  he  a  pleasant  child?  The  answer  to  these 
gracious  interrogatories  must  be  in  the  affirmative; 
and  that  will  account  for  all  the  working  of  divine 
benevolence  and  pity.     Chosen  in  Christ  before  the 


On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God.  73 

foundation  of  the  world  and  made  a  joint  heir  with 
him;  and  God  having  loved  the  chosen  vessel  of  mer- 
cy with  an  everlasting  love,  he  therefore  with  loving 
kindness  drew  him,  and  because  lie  was  thus  made  a 
Son.  he  in  regeneration  and  effectual  calling,  sent  forth 
the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into  Tits  heart,  crying  Abba,  Fa- 
ther! Hence  the  subject  under  the  influence  of  the 
same  Spirit  in  his  restoration,  is  enabled  to  say: 
"Thou  art  the  Lord  my  God!"  Here  then  we  have  a 
full  display  and  proof  of  unalterable  love,  in  all  the 
feelings  of  divine  pity,  and  all  the  exercises  produced 
by  the  Spirit  of  Grace  and  supplication,  in  the  heart 
of  the  poor  unworthy  offender,  who  is  thus  restored 
and  healed!  Be  astonished,  O  heaven,  and  wonder,  O 
earth,  break  forth  into  singing  0  forest,  and  every 
tree  therein,  for  the  Lord  hath  redeemed  Jacob  and 
glorified  himself  in  Israel!  he  hath  remembered  the 
forgotten!  pitied  the  unpitied!  brought  back  the  out- 
cast! and  healed  the  diseased,  whom  no  man  cared 
for!  And  lest  the  poor  smitten  deer,  the  wounded  and 
diseased  culprit,  standing  before  the  Lord  in  filthy 
garments,  should  be  discouraged  above  measure,  the 
good  Lord,  to  shew  "how  great  is  his  goodness," 
has  most  kindly  instructed  him  how  to  conduct  his 
suit  at  a  throne  of  grace!  "Take  with  you  words  and 
turn  unto  the  Lord;  say  to  him,  take  away  allixiiquity 
and  receive  us  graciously,  so  will  we  render  the  calves 
of  our  lips" — and  of  all  such  who  have  unhappily  fal- 
len by  their  iniquities,  but  who  are  mercifully  brought 
thus  to  plead  with  God,  to  renounce  their  idols,  their 
unhallowed  attachments  of  whatever  kind,  and  look 
for  the  exercise  of  sovereign  mercy,  from  a  covenant 
God,  flowing  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  the  blood 
-of  sprinkling,  of  all  such  God  hath  in  mercy  said: 
"I  will  heal  their  backslidings;  1  will  love  them  free- 
ly, for  mine  anger  is  turned  away  from  them."  Read 
Hosea  xiv.  1,  2,  S.  4.  And  let  it  be  remembered,  that 
the  word  of  that  God  who  thus  spake  by  the  prophet, 
stands  firmer  than  heaven  and  earth.  "Hath  he 
G 


T4  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  Odd. 

spoken,  and  shall  he  not  do  it?  is  the  word  gone  out 
of  his  mouth  in  righteousness,  and  shall  it  return 
void?  Is  the  strength  of  Israel  a  man,  that  he  should 
lie?  or  the  Son  of  Man,  that  he  should  repent?"  Far 
be  it  from  him  who  is  "a  God  of  truth  and  without 
iniquity;  whose  gifts  and  callings  are  without  repen- 
tance; who  is  of  one  mind,  and  none  can  turn  him; 
the  thoughts  of  whose  heart  stand  fast  for  a  thou- 
sand generations;  whose  honor  is  engaged  to  save  the 

meanest  of  his  saints."     He  will  chastise  for  folly 

for  sin — but  it  is  with  a  special  view  to  our  profit, 
that  we  may  be  partakers  of  his  holiness.    The  fruit 
of  his  rod  is  to  take  away  sin.   It  becomes  us  then  to 
kiss  the  rod,  to  be  in  subjection  to  the  Father  of  spi- 
rits; and  to  be  everlastingly  thankful,  that,  through 
the  peace  speaking  blood  of  the  atonement,  all  the 
dealings  of  the  divine  Majesty  with  mourners  in  Zion, 
are  in  mercy,  and  not  in  wrath;  and  that,  while  they 
fully  express  his  abhorrence  of  sin,  and  completely 
vindicate  the  rectitude  of  his  character  and  govern- 
ment, they  amply  shew  that  "he  is  mindful  of  the 
covenant,  and  work  together  for  the  good  of  those 
who  love  him,  who  are  the  called   according  to  his 
purpose;"  and  shew  his  love  as  firm  as  free;  as  unal- 
terable as  his  throne,  without  variableness  or  shadow  of 
turning;  and  in  nothing  more  strikingly  conspicuous, 
more  illustriously  displayed  and  unfolded,  than  in  the 
subject  of  this  essay,  namely,  bearing  ivith,  feeling  for, 
and  healing  poor  unhappy  backsliders,  who  are  often 
despised  and  rejected  of  men,  even  good  men,  as  well 
as  bad.  "From  sinner  and  from  saint  they  meet  with 
many  a  blow-— Their  own  bad  heart  creates  them 
smart,  which  none  but  God  doth  know."  But,  though 
thus  treated  by  men,  they  are  pitied  by  him  who  is 
emphatically,  "The  good  Shepherd,"    and  careth   for 
his  own!"  who  can,  and  doth   have  compassion  "on 
those  who  are  out  of  the  way!"  The  current  language 
of  whose  word  is  "return  unto  me  ye  backsliding  chil- 
dren,  for  I  am  married  unto  you;"  yes,  married  in 


On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God.  75 

•'•a  perpetual  covenant  that  cannot  be  broken."  a  co- 
venant that  is  well  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure!" 
I  have  been  disposed  to  treat  on  this  subject,  from  a 
conviction  of  its  real  importance;  from  the  too  well 
known  fact,  that  not  a  few  of  the  frail  and  sin  depra- 
ved family  of  God,  are  in  circumstances  so  unhappy 
as  to  need  it;  and  also  from  a  painful  conviction  that 
many,  very  many  preachers  cannot  in  a  proper  and 
judicious  manner  treat  on  it,  that  many  others  will 
not  (being  \qvv  desirous  to  be  thought  much  better 
than  they  really  are)  and  that  all  are  far  too  remiss 
and  use  but  very  sparing  efforts  to  "bring  back  that 
which  is  driven  away,  to  heal  that  which  is  sick,  and 
Strengthen  that  which  remains,"  but  our  compassion- 
ate High  Priest,  our  unchangeable  God,  the  great 
and  good  physician  of  souls,  brings  to  such  m. timed 
and  diseased  patients,  "health  and  cure,  and  cures 
them;"  and  now  what  shall  I  say  more:  doth  not  the 
view  here  taken,  however  brief  and  imperfect,  give 
the  most  endearing  and  sin  killing  representation  of 
divine  compassion — of  forbearance  infinite — of  pity 
unheard  of — of  love  unchangeable! — And  does  it  not 
afford  the  most  heart  relieving  encouragement  to  a 
wounded  spirit;  most  happily  calculated,  when  bless- 
ed of  God,  to  induce  and  encourage  the  sell  re- 
proaching mourner,  patiently  to  wait,  and  quietly  to 
hope,  for  the  safvation  of  God;  even  that  God  who 
never  did,  nor  never  will,  "despise  nor  abhor  the  af- 
flictions of  tiie  afflicted;  but  when  he  cries  he  hears: 
even  the  sighing  of  the  needy,  and  delivers  him,  and 
sets  him  in  safety  from  him  thatpuffeth  at  him,"  and 
even  sometimes  enables  the  poor  soul  who  is  cast 
down  wounded,  to  anticipate  deliverance  with  confi- 
dence.  '•Rejoice  not  against  me,  O  mine  enemy, 
though  I  fall  I  shall  arise,  though  1  sit  in  darkness, 
the  Lord  shall  be  a  light  unto  me!"  Let  then  the 
poor  soul  who  is  sighing  and  groaning  for  deliver- 
ance, who,  like  Ephraim,  is  ashamed  of  his  base  in- 
gratitude,  yea  even   confounded  with  self  reproach; 


T6  On  the  Unalterable  Love  of  God. 

let  such  a  one  mourn  sore  like  a  dove:  let  him  put  his 
mouth  in  the  dust,  if  so  be  there  may  be  hope;  let  him 
lament  w  ith  David  the  loathsome  disease  that  cleaves 
to  him,  and  let  him  weep  bitterly  with  Peter;  but 
while  he  thus  mourns  his  wretchedness,  and  pleads 
for  emancipation,  let  him  not  Borrow  as  without  hope; 
but  rather  be  encouraged  to  stand  still  and  see  the 
salvation  of  God:  for  he  that  shall  come  will  come, 
and  will  not  tarry!  Even  so  come  Lord  Jesus,  come 
quickly! 

Thus  love  unchanging,  free  and  rich, 
Meets  and  relieves  the  sinking  wretch, 

Who  well  deserv'd  to  die! 
Forbears  with  patience  infinite, 
The  daring  rebel's  soul  to  smite, 

Nor  lets  his  arrows  fly! 
In  mercy  visits  with  the  rod, 
To  bwng  the  war.d?rer  back  t?  God, 

With  broken  heart  and  bones; 
But  while  he  smites  remembers  still 
His  Son,  who  died  on  Calvary's  hill, 

Whose  blood  for  sin  atones! 
That  blood  doth  cleanse  where'er  appli'd, 
The  heart  with  crimson  crimes  deep  dy'd, 

And  brings  it  health  and  cure! 
Then  doth  the  culprit  pass  from  death, 
And  praise  employs  his  grateful  breath, 

Because  salvation's  sure! 

Not  praise  alone,  but  deep  complaints 

And  ardent  prayer  he  pours. 
And  softly  creeps  among  the  saints, 

And  prostrate — Grace  adores! 
He's  black,  he  knows,  as  Kedar's  tents. 

By  sin  throughout  defil'd; 
But  through  rich  grace  his  heart  relents, 

That  sin  hath  him  beguiled. 
He  pleads  that  hence  the  crooked  path 

Of  folly  he  may  shun. 
By  love  constraint!  and  led  by  faith. 

In  ways  of  truth  to  run1 


On  the   Unalterable  Love  of  God.  77 

So  shall  he  never  be  ashamed, 

Though  shame  to  him  belong, 
Shame  and  dismay  for  crimes  unnam'd, 

For  passions  base  and  strong! 
O!  let  the  humble  hear  thereof, 

The  humble  when  they're  sad, 
'Twill  them  support  when  scorners  scoff, 

And  make  their  spirits  glad. 

Do  thou,  Great  King,  whose  potent  arm, 
Can  Satan,  world  and  flesh  disarm, 

Thy  strength  in  weakness  shew. 
Deliverance  work — break  ev'ry  snare, 
And  bless  us  ahvaijs  with  thy  fear, 

And  prove  thy  promise  true! 
Salvation's  joys,  dear  Lord,  restore, 
And  let  thy  spirit  evermore 

Our  erring  souls  uphold. 
Then  to  transgressors  vile  and  base, 
Shall  all  thy  ways,  thou  God  of  grace, 

With  zeal  and  love  be  told! 


G2 


OX    THE 
OP 

T^IAEVmiS  BAPTISE. 


A  NUMBER  OF  P^DOBAPTISTS  OBJECTIONS  ANSWERED, 

And  their  Fallacious  Reasonings  Exploded. 


Should  not  the  multitude  of  words  be  answered.— Job  xi.  2. 

"Tfliat  saith  the  Scripture?"   "Believe  and  be  Baptized." 

"And  if  it  be  not  so  now  who  will  make  me  a  liar,  and  make  my 
speech  nothing  worth." — Job  xxiv.  25. 


The  general  practice  of  Psedobaptists  in  searching 
after  information  from  Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies,  to 
discover  the  true  nature  and  proper  subjects  of  an  ordi- 
nance confessedly  a  christian  one,  seems  strongly  to 
intimate  the  weakness  of  that  cause  which  needs  such 
support;  and  no  doubt  a  conviction  that  the  New  Tes- 
tament will  not  avail  them,  leads  men  into  a  long 
train  of  analogical  reasonings  to  produce  far  fetched 
inferences,  inductions,  and  results,  that  are  vague 
and  uncertain,  yea  worse,  they  are  evidently  falla- 
cious.    These  are  expedients  to  which  the  Baptist 


80  Btlievers  Baptism. 

never  has  occasion  to  resort.  Observe  once  for  all: 
Gospel  institutions  differ  very  materially  from  gospel 
truths,  in  this  respect  especially.  Gospel  truths  are 
dispersed  through  the  whole  scriptures,  and  are  to 
be  sought  for  from  Genesis  to  Revelation;  not  so  gos- 
pel ordinances,  they  are  positive  institutions,  appoint- 
ed by  the  great  head  of  the  church,  and  altogether  un- 
known before  the  christian  era;  their  appointment 
and  practice  exclusively  appertaining  to  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Chrtet. 

The  ceremonial  law  was  indeed  a  shadow  of  many 
good  and  great  things  to  come,  but  the  body  or  sub- 
stance of  those  shadows  is  of  Christ.  But  it  cannot 
be  admitted,  because  it  cannot  be  proved,  that  any  of 
the  old  ceremonies,  either  Abrahamic  or  Levitical, 
were  types  of  New  Testament  positive  institutions. 
Circumcision  was  no  more  a  type  of  baptism  than 
was  the  pascal  lamb  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  The  first 
was  a  figure  of  the  circumcision  of  the  heart,  or  re- 
generation by  the  Spirit.  The  last  was  a  beautiful 
type  of  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  and  the  benefits 
that  flow  from  it  to  the  election  of  grace,  the  true  Is- 
rael of  God;  on  the  other  hand,  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  are  not  types  of  any  thing.  They 
have  nothing  in  their  primary  nature  prospective, 
but  are  purely  retrospective,  not  looking  or  pointing 
to  what  will  be,  but  referring  to  what  has  been.  The 
Lord's  Supper  doubtless  refers  to  the  sufferings  of 
the  Lord,  when  his  body  was  broken  and  his  blood 
shed  for  sin,  and  is  a  most  gracious  memorial  of  that 
all  interesting  transaction,  in  the  administration  and 
participation  of  which,  his  people  have  their  confi- 
dence in  him  strengthened,  their  love  to,  and  fellow- 
ship with  him  and  one  another  promoted.  "Do  this 
as  oft  as  ye  do  it  in  remembrance  of  me."  And  bap- 
tism as  evidently  refers  to,  and  is  a  striking  repre- 
sentation of,  the  death,  burial,  and  resurrection  of 
Christ.  The  faith  of  the  person  baptized  in  those  all 
important  realities,  and  of  his  own  spiritual  death 


Believers  Baptism.  81 

to  sin,  burial  to  the  world,  and  resurrection  to  new- 
ness of  life.  On  these  points  the  following  scriptures 
are  most  explicit,  Rom.  vi.  3,4,  5.  ''Know  you  not, 
that  so  many  of  you  as  were  baptized  into  Jesus 
Christ,  were  baptized  into  his  death.  Therefore  ye 
are  buried  with  him  by  baptism  into  death,  that  like  as 
Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by  the  glory  of 
the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should  walk  in  newness 
of  life."  In  this  portion  of  the  word  we  have  a  re- 
presentation of  a  burial  by  baptism:  "buried  with 
Christ  by  baptism."  How  clear,  how  emphatic.  We 
have  also  a  representation  of  a  resurrection.  "That 
like  as  Christ  (in  like  manner)  as  Christ  was  raised 
from  the  dead;"  <sso  we  (being  raised  froin  that  sem- 
blance of  death  and  a  burial)  should  walk  in  newness 
of  life."  First  planted  in  the  likeness  of  his  death; 
then  raised  in  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection,  and 
walk  as  living  subjects  of  that  resurrection*  clear, 
unequivocal,  and  explicit  as  this  passage  of  holy 
writ  is;  yet  if  need  be,  and  if  it  be  possible,  Coi  ii.  12. 
is  more  explicit,  particularly  as  to  baptism,  being  a 
striking  semblance  of  a  resurrection,  whether  it  be 
Christ's  resurrection,  or  the  belie^  ing  subject  of  bap- 
tism, it  is  the  same.  Thus  it  reads:  "buried  with  him 
by  baptism,  wherein  also  ye  are  ruen  with  him."  Now 
observe  this  last  clause  in  particular.  Believers  are 
first  said  to  be  buried  with  Christ  by  baptism,  and 
then  it  is  affirmed  thus:  "Wherein  (or  in  which  bap- 
tism) ye  are  rUen  with  him  through  the  faith  of  the 
operation  of  God."  That  is  to  say,  in  the  exercise 
of  that  faith,  which  was  produced  in  their  hearts  by 
the  special  and  operative  influence  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  they  were  enabled  to  understand  the  true 
nature  of  that  baptism  with  which  they  were  bap- 
tized, as  aptly  representing  (among  other  things)  a 
burial  and  resurrection.  Here  is  every  thing  clear 
and  plain,  so  that  he  who  runs  may  read — No  criti- 
cising on  a  Greek  word  or  two,  of  which  the  way- 
faring men  (in  general)  know  nothing — no  reverting 


8£  Believers  Baptism, 

back  several  thousand  years  before  Nthe  existence  of 
that  dispensation  to  which  the  ordinance  of  baptism 
exclusively  belongs,  for  a  far  fetched  inference  from 
the  Abrahamic  covenant — but  instead  of  this  circuit- 
ous, and  I  may  add,  unfair  procedure,  we  have  in  the 
passages  now  remarking  on,  the  words  of  the  Holy 
Ghost! — words  too,  it  must  be  observed,  which  are 
used  expressly  on  the  subject-  I  would  now  ask,  if 
the  mode  and  design  of  Christian  baptism  is  so  clear, 
so  explicit  and  so  unequivocal,  in  these  passages  of 
holy  writ,  which,  by  the  bye,  are  the  statute  laws,  or 
illustrations  of  the  statute  laws  of  Christ's  kingdom, 
given  by  him  as  the  head  and  law  giver  of  his  church, 
how  comes  it  to  pass  (I  ask-  that  Psedobaptists,  in 
general,  when  they  are  professedly  instructing  the 
people  in  the  design  of  baptism,  should  overlook,  and 
apparently  keep  back,  facts  so  obvious,  and  exclu- 
sively direct  the  attention  of  their  hearers  and  read- 
ers to  some  other  view  of  the  subject — some  view 
which  m#J  appear  to  comport  with  their  practice. 
Such  as  refering  them  to  a  passage  like  this:  "1  will 
sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  you  shall  be 
clean;"  or  to  the  various  sprinklings  appointed  under 
the  Levitical  law,  or  at  best,  to  *»the  blood  of  sprink- 
ling, that  speaketh  better  things  than  the  blood  of 
Abel."  But  unfortunately  for  the  advocates  of  the 
sprinkling  practice,  there  is  no  mention  made  of  bap- 
tism, nor  is  the  ordinance  of  Christian  baptism  once 
associated  with  any  of  these  circumstances,  nor  do 
the  terms  in  which  the  ordinance  is  expressed,  ever 
imply  sprinkling,  or  even  pouring;  but  uniformly 
dipping,  plunging,  immersing,  and  so  on,  as  is  well 
known  by  all  candid  and  well  informed  Psedobaptists, 
as  I  may  have  occasion  to  notice  in  this  essay,  i  have 
asked  how  it  is  that  Psedohaptists  act  thus:  apparent- 
ly shunning  the  scriptural  and  obvious  view  and  de- 
sign ofthe  ordinance,  and  bringing  forward  something 
foreign  and  merely  allusive,  and  that  not  correctly. 
And  I  must  say  that  there  appears  no  reason  for  such 


Believers  Baptism,  83 

aline  of  conduct,  but  the  following  too  obvious  one, 
namely:  —  A  conviction  that  there  is  nothing  in  the. 
sprinkling  of  an  infant  that  lias  the  remotest  sem- 
blance or  likeness  to  a  burial  or  a  resurrection,  nor  is 
there  any  thing  in  the  subject  of  this  (supposed)  bap- 
tism (namely,  the  infant,)  that  looks  like  a  partaker 
of  the  faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  practising  an  in- 
stitution appointed  by  the  head  of  the  church,  for  the 
observance  of  his  believing  people,  and  that  too,  as 
the  first  act  of  their  obedience,  upon  or  after  believ- 
ing.     "Believe  and   be   baptized,"  is  the   order  of 
Christ's  house,  and  it  is  much  to  be  wished,  that  as 
Psedobapttst  ministers  will  not,  or  at  least  do  not, 
present  to  their  hearers  correct  views  of  this  ordi- 
nance, that   the   godly  among  their  hearers  would 
cease  to  put  confidence  in  a  guide,  and  search  the 
scriptures,  and  (praying  for  divine  instruction)  so- 
berly refiect  on  the  subject  for  themselves,  and  espe- 
cially that  parents,  who  may  contemplate  taking  their 
beloved  offspring  to  their  minister  to  be  christened, 
that  such  should  first  search  and  see  if  such  a  practice 
is  required  at  their  hands,  and  whether  they  can  make 
the  practice  comport  with  the  scriptural  representa- 
tion of  the  ordinance,  as  to  mode  and  subject,  arid  if 
God  disposes  their  hearts  honestly  to  make  his  word 
the  man  of  their  counsel.   I  promise  myself  they  will 
hesitate  before  they  act,  and  I  hope  forbear  to  do  that 
which  is  no  less  than  a  profanation  of  the  divine  name 
to  a  device  of  man,  that  the  scripture  knows  nothing 
about,  and  contains  neither  precept  nor  example  on 
the  subject.     So  decidedly  is  this  the  fact,  that  the 
Papal  hierarchy,  the  mother  of  abominations,  is  ob- 
liged to  confess,  and  does  confess  herself  indebted  to 
tradition,  to  prove  the  validity  of  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants.    But  while  there  is  positively  nothing  in  the 
practice  of  sprinkling,  that  conforms  in  any  degree 
with  the  before  cited  passages,  Rom.  vi.  3,  4,  5.  Col. 
ii.  12.  it  is  worth  observing  how  v^ry  close  the  fact 
corresponds  with  the  design,  when  believing  men  and 


S4  Believers  Baptism, 

women  are  baptized  by  immersion.     Whoever  has 
witnessed  believers  baptism,  might  have  read  (as  it 
were)    the    language  of   holy   writ,    in  that   which 
they  beheld  with  their  eyes.     But  it  seems  impossible 
for  a  by  stander  at  the   ceremony  of  infant  sprink- 
ling to  relate  what  he  saw  in  the  language  of  scrip- 
ture.    I  will  suppose  a  man  to  attempt  it  in  a  simple 
manner,  and  his  relation  must  run  nearly  as  follows: 
We  have  had  a  child  christened  at  church  to-day — 
Two  or  three  friends   came  forward  and  delivered 
a  young  child  into  the  arms  of  the  minister,  and  after 
he  had  received  it,  he  dipped,  plunged  or  immersed 
h\s  fingers  in  a  bason  of  water,  and  railing  the  little 
stranger  by  some  name,  he  told  him  he  baptized  him 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  as  he  so  expressed  himself,  (to  the 
infant,  which  did  not  appear  to  understand  h  m,J  he 
dropt  or  sprinkled  a  few  drops  of  water  on  the  little 
one's  forehead,  and  then  returned  it  to  those  from 
whom  he  received  it.     Now  I  ask,  in  the  name  of 
common  ser.se,  in  the  name  of  truth,  I  ask,  what  could 
the  hearer  of  such    a   faithful   narration   recognise, 
that  bears  the  remotest  analogy  to  a  positive  institu- 
tion in  the  gospel  church,  (except  indeed  the  use,  or 
rather  misuse,  perhaps  I  might  say  abuse  of  the  names 
of  the  divine  persons'  and  while  I  wish  Psedobaptists 
to  look  soberly  on  this  ceremony,  and  view  and  con- 
template its  puerility,  its  absurdity,  its  total  wai^t  of 
authority,   from   the   figures   used  in  scripture,  and 
from  either  precept  or  example,  I  would  beg  on   the 
other  hand,  as  it  is  much  to  be  wished,  that  I\redo- 
baptists  would  seriously  contemplate  the  administra- 
tion of  the  ordinance  of  believers  baptism,  and  if  they 
ha\e  not  seen  it,  and  shun  seeing  it,  let  them  candid- 
ly attend  to  the  relation  of  some  friend  who  has  seen 
it,  and  who  will  in  proper  language  relate  what  he 
saw  and  heard,  and  it  w  ill  be  found  That  his  detail  will 
be  as  follows: — There  has  been  a  man  baptized  to- 
day.   The  minister  and  the  man  to  be  baptized  cam< 


Believers  Baptism.  85 

to  the  margin  of  the  water,  and  after  a  gospel  address, 
praying  and  singing,  the  minister  took  the  man  by 
the  hand,  and  they  went  sedately  down  into  the  wa- 
ter, both  the  minister  and  the  man,  and  then  the  min- 
ister addressed  himself  to  the  man  thus:  Brother,  on 
a  profession  of  your  faith  in  Christ,  I  baptize  thee  in 
the  name,  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  So  saying,  he  baptized  him  hy  immers- 
ing him  in  the  water,  and  then  they  came  up  out  of 
the  water,  both  the  minister  and  the  baptized  man, 
and  they  retired  and  I  saw  them  no  more.  Now  I 
ask  any  man  who  reads  his  Bible,  on  hearing  this 
simple  and  correct  narration,  if  lie  would  not  immedi- 
ately recognise,  and  be  ready  to  exclaim,  this  agrees 
exactly  with  the  account  we  have  of  Philip  baptizing 
the  eunuch.  Acts  viii.  37,  38,  39.  Yes,  indeed,  it  was 
designed  so  to  do,  to  be  a  counter  part,  a  mere  copy 
of  the  original  practice.  In  this  the  Baptists  hold  it 
their  duty  and  honor  to  be  mere  copyists — to  say  with 
Paul,  "I  have  delivered  unto  you  that  which  I  also 
received;"  not  from  Moses  nor  from  Abraham,  but 
•♦from  the  Lord;"  and  happy  is  it  for  that  church  that 
keeps  the  ordinanres  as  they  were  delivered  to  the 
first  churches,  by  the  Lord  and  his  apostles. 

The  frivolous  attempts  which  have  been  so  often 
made  to  prove  the  right  of  children  to  baptism,  are  as 
fruitless  as  they  are  frivolous:  They  are  mostly 
drawn  from  the  Old  Testament  practice  of  circum- 
cision; but  even  in  this  ordinance  we  can  perceive  no- 
thing like  a  right  in  the  subject:  for  it  was  not  a 
privilege  granted  to  unconscious  children,  but  a  duty 
enjoined  on  the  parents:  "Ye  shall  circumcise  your 
male  children  on  the  eighth  day."  This  was  a  na- 
tional badge,  a  duty  common  to  every  Israelite,  good 
or  bad;  it  was  one  of  those  carnal  ordinances  that 
was  by  God  imposed  or  enjoined  on  that  people  un- 
til the  time  of  reformation,  and  as  a  punishment  to 
the  disobedient  parent,  who  neglected  this  ordinance, 
the  child  was  to  be  cut  off.  Circumcision  then  was 
H 


86  |  Believers  Baptism. 

an  act  of  obedience  of  the  parent  (to  whom  the  com- 
mand speaks)  and  not  an  act  of  obedience  in  the 
child,  which  was  unconscious  of  any  law.  and  alto- 
gether passive,  but  baptism  is  an  act  of  obedience  of 
the  subject  of  baptism;  to  him  the  command  is  di- 
rected, " Arise  and  be  baptized."  "Repent  and  be 
baptized."  To  him  also  who  is  the  subject  of  bap- 
tized, is  the  privilege  granted.  "If  thou  betierest, 
thou  mayest  bt  baptized."  Acts  viii.  37.  Observe 
from  these  remarks  the  essential  difference  in  the  two 
institutions  and  their  subjects;  and  further,  circu in- 
cision was  national — Every  Israelite,  good  or  bad, 
was  bound  to  circumcise  his  sons,  whether  he  feared 
God,  or  feared  him  not;  but  what  nation  under  hea- 
ven^  as  a  nation,  are  commanded  to  be  baptized,  much 
less  to  baptize  their  sons. — Individuals  of  all  nations 
are  commanded  to  be  baptized,  on  their  being  brought 
to  "repentance  toward  God  and  faith  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,"  but  not  before;  for  it  must  be  observ- 
ed that  baptism  is  the  obedience  of  faith,  not  of  the 
law.  Moral  commands  and  gospel  institutions  differ 
essentially.  The  former  are  obligatory  on  all  men,  at 
all  times,  and  under  all  circumstances.  Jewish  rites 
and  ceremonies  were  obligatory  only  on  the  Jews,  and 
such  proselites  as  were  identified  with  that  nation,  and 
that  only  for  a  time — "Until  the  time  of  reformation; 
until  the  seed  should  come."  But  baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper  are  institutions  to  be  observed  until 
the  end  of  the  world,  but  they  call  for  obedience  on- 
ly from  the  household  of  faith;  they  are  binding  on 
no  others,  for  they  are  not  enjoined  on  men  as  men, 
but  as  repenting,  as  believing  men.  So  that  we  have 
no  charge  to  exhibit  against  an  unbeliever,  because 
he  is  not  baptized,  and  does  not  partake  of  the  Lord's 
Supper;  so  far  from  it,  both  ordinances  are  withheld 
from  him  until  he  makes  a  profession,  and  gives  evi- 
dence that  he  is  a  partaker  of  that  faith  which  puri- 
fied the  heart  and  works  by  love.  How  absurd  then 
must  all  attempts  at  analogical  reasoning  be  on  sub- 


Believers  Baptism.  87 

jerts  between  winch  there  is  no  analogy.  Abraham 
and  his  sons  are  surely  not  types  of  professed  chris- 
tians and  their  children,  their  sons  and  their  daugh- 
ters, no  certainly  not,  Abraham  was  a  type  (in  the 
offering  of  his  sun)  of  the  divine  Father;  but  in  his 
general  character  I  think  he  was  a  type  of  Christ. 
Isaac  was  evidently  a  type  of  the  church,  in  his  being 
devoted  to  be  sacrificed,  and  in  being  delivered  by 
the  substitution  of  the  ram  which  was  caught  by  his 
own  act,  which  ram  was  a  glorious  type  of  Christ, 
who  by  his  own  act  voluntarily  engaged  himself  to 
redeem  his  church  from  death,  and  from  the  curse  of 
the  law,  and  every  tiling  implied  in  that  curse!  "I 
lay  down  my  life  for  my  sheep,  no  man  taketh  it 
from  me,  I  lay  it  down  of  myself.**  Again,  infant  Is- 
raelites as  the  seed  of  Abraham,  are  surely  not  types 
of  our  infants,  but  rather  of  babes  in  Christ,  that  seed 
that  is  to  serve  him  in  the  newness  of  the  Spirit, 
and  not  in  the  olduess  of  the  letter,  yielding  to  him 
that  obedience  which  a  new  and  spiritual  dispensa- 
tion calls  for,  and  that  under  the  influence  of  new 
principles;  not  being  under  the  Iawr  of  ceremonies, 
nor  under  the  law  of  works,  as  the  ministration  of 
death,  but  under  grace.  Further,  the  nation  of  the 
Jews,  as  the  descendants  of  Abraham,  appears  to  be  a 
type  of  the  election  of  grace,  who  are  brought  to  be- 
lieve tli rough  grace,  and  their  little  ones  appear  to 
be  types  of  those  children  of  the  true  Zion  which  she 
labours  to  bring  forth,  and  which  she  does  bring 
forth  unto  God,  "who  are  born  not  of  blood,  nor  of 
the  will  of  man,  nor  of  the  flesh,  but  of  God:  and 
who,  "as  new  born  babes,  desire  the  sincere  milk  of 
the  word,  that  they  may  grow  thereby."  Now,  my 
friends,  if  these  things  are  so,  how  is  it  that  men 
possessed  of  so  many  advantages,  will  still  persist 
in  a  mode  of  reasoning  so  evidently  groundless?  Is  it 
to  be  understood  as  a  tacit  acknowledgment,  that 
they  have  nothing  better  to  offer?  This  doubtless  is 
the  fact,  for  the  subjects  advanced  by  these  ingenious 


88  Believers  Baptism. 

P?edobaptist  analogical  reasoners,  have  no  founda- 
tion in  the  New  Testament:  there  is  no  precept  en- 
joining, nor  any  example  to  be  found,  in  the  whole 
code  of  New  Testament  laws,  or  their  application  to 
practice,  by  the  apostles,  for  the  baptizing  of*  infants 
in  any  way,  or  tin*  baptizing  of  any  subject,  infant 
or  adult,  b\  sprinkling;  the  advocates  for  such  prac- 
tices have  time  and  often  been  challenged  to  produce 
them,  but  have  never  yet  been  able,  and  we  may  say 
with  confidence  they  never  will:  for,  as  Solomon  says, 
'•that  which  is  wanting,  cannot  be  numbered!"  SVe 
may  then  safely  affirm,  that  the  strenuous,  laborious, 
and  voluminous  hunting  for  analogy  is  of  necessity! 
But  it  is  fruitless,  except  to  mislead  the  unwary,  the 
indolent,  and  the  weak;  for  no  analogy  that  can  avail 
exists. 

There  is  but  one  point  of  the  remotest  agreement 
between  circumcision  and  infant  sprinkling,  which 
is  that  of  attending  to  them  both  in  infancy.  The 
Jewish  rite  must  be  performed  by  express  command 
on  the  eighth  ('ay;  but  P&dnbaprists  attend  to  their 
ceremonies  the  eighth  day,  or  eighth  week,  or  month, 
or  even  year,  as  it  seems  good  in  their  eyes;  and 
then,  when  they  do  attend  to  them,  we  are  told  by 
some  that  these  great  results  follow,  namely — That 
the  subject  is  made  a  child  of  God!  a  member  of 
Christ!  and  an  inheritor  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven! 
Very  grand  assertions;  but  unfortunately  very  false, 
and  awfully  deceptive.  Others  less  heterodox  tell  us, 
that  the  child  by  baptism  (as  they  call  sprinkling) 
becomes  a  member  of  the  visible  church  by  virtue  of 
the  parents  faith!  But,  1  think,  it  must  be  acknow- 
ledged that  in  many  instances  the  parents  themselves 
are  destitute  of  faith,  and  if  they  are  so  happy  as  to 
be  partakers  of  faith,  to  the  saving  of  their  own  souls, 
their  faith  in  this  instance  must  needs  be  good  for 
nothing,  for  here  is  no  record,  no  word  of  faith,  no 
promise,  and  faith  to  be  good  and  available  must  re- 
fer to  a  divine  record,  a  divine  promise.     But  it  may 


Believers  Baptism.  89 

be  asked  what  membership  can  a  child  liave  in  the 
church  of  Christ?  Let  it  be  remembered  that  the 
church  of  Christ  is  his  body,  and  each  believer  is  a 
particular  member  of  that  body.  But  can  an  unbe- 
liever he  a  member  of  Christ's  body?  Certainly  not. 
Then,  by  consequence,  not  a  member  of  his  church, 
Which  is  his  body.  But  the  Psedobaptists  will  say, 
such  may  be  members  of  his  visible  body.  Observe, 
Christ's  mistical  body  comprises  those  only,  who, 
through  grace,  really  and  in  truth  believe  in  him; 
While  what  is  called  his  visible  body,  or  church,  com- 
prises all  who  profess  to  believe  in  him,  whether  they 
so  believe  in  truth  or  not.  But  the  Paidobaptists  give 
the  Saviour  a  more  defective  body  than  this;  for  they 
inaiutain  that  those  are  members  of  his  body  who  do 
not  nor  cannot  make  even  such  a  profession,  and  who, 
they  believe  in  their  hearts,  are  quite  destitute  of  any 
good  thing  toward  the  Lord,  and,  as  a  proof  that 
they  so  think,  they  deny  their  communion  at  the 
Lord's  table.  So  here  is  exhibited  the  strange  ano- 
maly of  membership  without  communion.  Are  not 
these  things  glaring  inconsistencies?  A  member,  not 
under  any  censure,  denied  communion.  But  why?  Be- 
cause not  a  christian;  so  that  the  baptized  member  is 
confessedly  an  infidel,  according  to  their  own  shew- 
ing. 

Psedobaptists  appear  to  think,  that  not  to  baptize 
children  is  to  be  criminally  negligent  of  their  soul's 
welfare.  But  to  make  this  appear,  they  should  shew 
us  that  God  hath  required  it  at  their  hands.  Surely 
sprinkling  a  child  is  not  what  the  word  means  by 
"training  a  child  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of 
the  Lord."  Cannot  a  Baptist  pray  for  his  children, 
and  with  his  children?  Cannot  he  instruct  them  from 
the  word  of  God,  and  set  a  good  example  before  them? 
Cannot  he  take  them  to  the  house  of  God  to  hear  his 
word,  &c?  Yes,,  surely;  and  notwithstanding  the 
great  and  much  to  be  regretted  neglect  of  many,  yet 
I  believe  that  Baptists  who  have  believed  through 
H2 


90  Believers  Baptism, 

grace,  with  the  heart  unto  righteousness,  and  who 
have,  with  the  mouth,  made  confession  unto  salvation, 
are  (at  least)  as  diligent  in  every  good  word  and  work 
as  their  fellow  christians  of  any  other  denomination. 
They  know  well,  as  all  do  who  know  the  truth,  that 
they  can  do  nothing  efficiently  to  effect  their  conver- 
sion— but  this  ought  not,  and  I  hope  it  does  not  (at 
least  generally)  paralize  their  instrumental  efforts. 
But  if,  with  all  the  professed  candor  and  moderation 
of  some  of  our  opponents,  and  with  all  the  fiery  zeal 
of  some  others,  attempts  are  to  he  perpetually  made 
to  seduce  us  from  the  truth,  by  altering  the  reading 
of  every  passage  of  holy  writ,  that  in  its  present  ren- 
dering presents  insuperable  obstacles  in  the  way  of 
the  Panlobaptists,  then  indeed  we  are  in  a  bad  pre- 
dicament; for  if  it  be  lawful  and  right  for  every  smat- 
terer  in  Greek  to  beguile  or  perplex  the  mere  Eng- 
lish reader,  by  contending  that  to  go  down  into  the 
water,  should  be  read  to  go  down  to  the  water,  and 
to  come  up  out  of  the  water,  should  be  read  to  come 
up/rom  the  water,  and  other  similar  and  equally  er- 
roneous alterations,  then  indeed  the  simple  christian 
may  be  for  ever  tossed  about  w  ith  every  wind  of  doc- 
trine. But  let  it  be  observed  by  way-faring  men,  (for 
whom  I  write)  that  the  alterations  here  noticed,  as 
made  by  the  Psedobaptists,  are  not  the  most  natural 
rendering  ot  the  Greek  words,  but  that  only  which 
the  words  in  some  connections  would  bear;  the  ab- 
surdity of  the  arguments  drawn  from  such  forced 
translations  to  support  an  unscriptural  practice  is 
sufficiently  obvious — but  instead  of  citing  the  author- 
ity of  individual  Greek  scholars,  I  will  content  myself 
with  asking  our  opponents  this  question:  How  came 
it  to  pass  that  the  translators  of  the  Bible  could  not 
make  these  discoveries?  They  were  not  Baptists,  and 
therefore  cannot  be  suspected  of  being  misled  by  any 
predilection  for  the  Baptists' views.  But,  though  not 
Baptists,  they  were  profound  scholars  and  honest 
men,  (though  not  infallible)  and  their  numbers  very 


Believers  Baptism.  91 

considerable;  and  they  have  given  us  a  reading  that 
the  Paedobaptists  of  every  name  are  confounded  with! 
but  with  which  the  Baptists  are  well  pleased  and  fully 
satisfied! 

The  truth  is,  that  very  many  of  the  wisest  and  best 
of  the  Psedobaptists  have  acknowledged  that  immer- 
sion upon  believing  was  practised  by  the  apostles  and 
primitive  christians,  and  that  infant  baptism  was  ne- 
ver attempted  until  the  third  century,  when  it  was  im- 
mediately opposed  by  one  Tertullian;  and  although  it 
continued  to  take  increasing  root  under  the  power  of 
the  man  of  sin,  through  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries, 
yet  the  English  churches  were  preserved  from  it,  till 
Gregory  the  seventh,  bishop  (or  rather  pope)  of  Rome, 
sent  that  artful  and  bloody  fox,  Austin  the  xVlonk,  into 
England  in  the  year  596;  and  it  appears  pretty  clear 
and  evident,  that  children  were  for  a  long  time  bap- 
tized by  immersion,  and  not  by  sprinkling;  for  long 
after  the  corruptions  of  popery  had  introduced  infant 
baptism,  the  framers  of  the  Rubrick  of  the  Episcopal 
church  of  England,  appointed  their  fonts  to  be  made 
large  enough  to  admit  the  immersion  of  the  child;  and 
to  this  day  it  is  a  standing  law  of  that  establishment, 
that  the  priest  shall  dip  the  child  in  the  water  of  the 
font,  except  the  parents  or  others  shall  vouch  that  the 
child's   health  will   not  admit  of  immersion  without 
danger,  then,  and  only  then,  according  to  their  ca- 
non  laws,  the  priest  is  permitted,  not  commanded,  to 
sprinkle.     It  is  true,  in  the  modern  built  churches, 
both  in   England  and  in  this  city,  the  fonts,  as  they 
are  called,  are  far  too  small  for  immersion.     So  suc- 
cessful   has   the   priesthood    been    in   "teaching  for 
doctrines  the  commandments  of  men,"  that  it  is  no  un- 
common thing  to  hear  blind  guides,  pointing  to  the 
font,  say,  "there  stands  the  laver  of  reg<  moation." 
If  such  blind  leaders  of  ihe  blind,  were  regenerated 
themselves  by  the  agency  of  the  Spirit  and  the  in- 
strumentality of  the  word  of  God,  they  would  know 
that  the  all  important  work  was  not  effected  by  a  few 


02  Believers  Baptism. 

drops  of  water /row  the  font,  nor  «£  the  font,  but  to 
leave  them  in  his  hands  who  will  deal  with  blind 
watchmen  and  greedy  wolves  according  to  his  sove- 
reign pleasure  and  return  to  the  subject  of  this  essay, 
and  resume  these  desultory  observations,  by  asking 
the  following  question:  If  sprinkling  was  the  apos- 
tolic practice  or  method,  how  are  we  to  account  for 
John's  being  said  to  baptize  at  Enon,  for  this  plain 
reason — there  was  much  water  there?  So  the  ext 
reads:  "John  was  baptizing  at  Enon,  near  to  Salem, 
because  there  was  much  water  there!"  John  iii.  Here 
let  it  be  observed,  we  have  no  meA  of  either  Greek 
or  geographical  criticisms,  to  make  us  believe  that 
there  was  not  much  water  at  Enon.  although  the 
words  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  are  rendered  into 
plain  English,  and  cannot  well  be  misunderstood,  in- 
form us  that  there  was,  and  on  that  account  was  se- 
lected by  ihe  venerable  Baptist,  as  a  convenient  place 
for  the  administration  of  the  ordinance. 

When  we  so  uniformly  find  repenting — believing — 
receiving  the  word — rejoicing  in  God — and  such  like 
expressions  accompanying,  nay  go  before  baptism, 
we  are  constrained  to  believe  that  such  subjects  only 
as  did  so  believe,  repent,  &c.  were  baptized,  especial- 
ly as  we  find  no  one  passage  in  which  christian  bap- 
tism is  introduced  or  enforced-  that  children  are  once 
named  as  the  subjects  thereof,  or  in  which  parents 
are  commanded  or  instructed  to  have  their  children 
baptized.  The  obvious  truth  of  these  remarks  per- 
plexes the  Psedobaptists,  and  drives  them  as  a  last 
shift  to  hunt  for  children  in  the  house  of  the  Philip- 
plan  jailor,  of  ].ydia,  and  of  Cornelius,  but  they  have 
not  yet  been  so  successful  as  to  find  any.  As  to  Cor- 
nelius, who  was  a  Roman  officer,  the  probability  is, 
that  he  had  none  about  him  but  soldiers;  but  be  that 
as  it  may,  it  is  very  evident  that  those  who  were  bap- 
tized had  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  Peter  prove! 
the  propriety  of  their  being  baptized  on  that  ground, 
and  on  that  only.  Acts  x.  47,  48.  "Can  any  man  for- 


Believers  Baptism.  93 

bid  water,  that  these  should  not  he  baptized,  who 
have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  as  well  as  we?  and  he 
commanded  them  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord." — Thus  much  for  Cornelius.  I  think  a  man 
must  have  a  wonderful  penetration  to  find  any  chil- 
dren baptized  here. 

As  to  Lydia,  it  does  not  even  appear  that  she  had 
cither  children  or  a  husband.  But  one  thing  dues  evi- 
dently appear,  that  Lydia  was  baptized  on  the  recep- 
tion of  truth,  and  being  judged  to  be  faithful,  "the 
Lord  opened  her  heart  to  attend"  to  truth,  and  after 
she  was  baptized  she  addresses  the  apostles  thus:  "If 
you  have  judged  me  to  be  faithful,  come  into  my 
house. "  Acts  xvi.  14,  15.  Now  if  Lydia  was  bap- 
tized on  the  reception  of  truth,  and  being  judged  to 
be  faithful,  the  fair  inference  is,  that  whoever  else 
was  baptized  in  her  house,  were  baptized  on  the  same 
grounds — both  she  and  her  household  were  sinners 
alike  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  if  all  were  enabled  to 
believe  in  him,  in  whom  the  Gentiles  trust,  then  all 
were  proper  subjects  of  baptism;  but  not  otherwise, 
for  so  runs  the  apostolic  commission:  *«Preach  the 
gospel  to  every  creature — he  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved" — and  further,  the  gospel 
dispensation  knows  nothing  of  the  parent  receiving 
any  blessing  or  doing  any  act  or  duty  in  the  name 
of  the  child,  or  of  the  child  receiving  any  thing  in  the 
right  of  the  parent. 

As  to  the  case  of  the  jailor,  it  is  clear  on  the  face 
of  the  history,  that  whoever  constituted  his  house,  they 
were  such  as  had  had  the  word  of  God  spoken  to  them, 
and  had  believed  and  rejoiced  in  God.  Acts  xvi.  32, 
33,  34.  They  could  not  then  be  infants.  And  it  may 
be  here  observed,  once  for  all,  that  the  terms  house 
and  household,  do  not  necessarily  include  children, 
even  where  the  parties  have  children.  Hence  we 
read,  Gen.  xviii.  19.  thus:  "I  know  Abraham  that  he 
will   command    his  children,  and  his  household  after 

him,  and  they  shall  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord."    Now 


94  Believers  Baptism. 

here  is  an  evident  distinction  between  children  and 
househtd>.l9  which  1  wish  to  be  particularly  noticed, 
for  it  is  plain  from  hence  that  its  being  said  that 
Lydia's  household  were  baptized,  and  the  jailor's 
house,  proves  nothing  in  favor  of  infant  baptism,  even 
although  it  could  be  proved  that,  like  Abraham,  they 
had  children.  Observe  the  terms  of  distinction:  ••His 
children,  and  \ris  household;"  &\\(\  further,  it  cannot  well 
be  conceived,  when  we  have  such  frequent  mention  of 
men  and  women  being  baptized,  but  that  if  there  had 
been  any  children,  it  would  have  been  named.  We 
should  have  heard,  as  we  do  in  the  Old  Testament, 
of  their  little  ones,  of  their  children,  6cc. — but  no; 
nothing  of  the  kind  once  occurs,  for  this  plain  i  eason: 
Every  thing  under  the  gospel  is  personal  and  nothing 
federative.  Personal  conversion  only,  constitutes  t he 
christian.  Mere  descent  from  Abraham  and  circum- 
cision constituted  an  Israelite,  and  conferred  nation- 
al, .and  even  religious  privileges,  in  which  the  uncir- 
cumcised  Gentile  could  not  participate.  But  now  the 
middle  wall  is  broken  down  and  descent  is  nothing. 
It  is  now  of  no  avail  to  say,  "We  have  Abraham  for 
our  father.  « Circumcision  is  nothing,  uncircumci- 
sion  is  nothing;  but  a  new  creature,  whether  he  be 
bond  or  free,  near  or  far  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord 
our  Gad  shall  call,  to  the  fellowship  of  his  Son,"  and 
no  more.  "The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his, 
and  whom  he  foreknew  them  he  also  called,  and  w  horn 
he  called,  them  he  justified,  and  whom  he  justified, 
them  he  glorified.*'  And  this  prescience,  this  fore- 
knowledge, and  foreordi nation  of  God,  is  the  seal  of 
his  foundation:  that  is,  they  render  valid  and  irrevo- 
cable that  foundation  which  he  has  laid.  (*The  foun- 
dation of  God  standeth  sure,  having  this  seal,  the 
Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his,  and  let  e\Q\y  one 
(adds  the  apostle)  that  nameth  the  name  of  Christ 
depart  from  iniquity."  The  Psedo  baptists  are  ex- 
tremely fond  of  searching  for  other  seals.  Sometimes 
they  represent  the  partaking  of  the  Lnt-d's  Supper  as 


Believers  Baptism.  95 

scaling  covenant  with  God;  sometimes  they  consider 
baptism  as  a  seal,  and  the  same  is  said  of  the  old  rite 
of  circumcision;  but  the  scripture  certainly  knows 
nothing  of  these  things.  I  have  just  shewn  that  the 
foun.iati.ni  of  Uo<i  hath  a  seal,  which  is  this:  "The 
Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his."  Believers  are  i.lso 
said  to  he  "sealed  with  the  holy  spirit  of  promise." 
But  first  there  is  a  bearing  of  the  word  of  truth,  the 
gospel  of  salvation,  then  a  "trusting  in  Christ/'  and 
then  follows  the  sealing  of  the  spirit;  This  renders  ail 
valid  in  the  believers  state — for  the  sealing  is  »»an 
earnest  of  inheritance/'  and  is  to  continue  till  God's 
gracious  purposes  of  mercy  are  complete;  "Until  the 
redemption  of  the  purchased  possession."  And  it  is 
by  this  firm,  stable  process  that  God  promotes  his  own 
everlasting  honor,  "to  the  praise  of  his  own  glorv." 
Eph.  i.  1  3,  14. .  Again:  we  read  of  a  seal  in  the  case 
of  Abraham,  Rom.  iv.  11. — but  it  is  not  a  seal  of  any 
covenant,  for  observe  circumcision  is  there  said  to  be 
"a  seal  of  that  righteousness  of  the  faith  which  he 
had,  yet  being  uncircumcised."  Circumcision  is  in- 
deed said  to  be  *»a  token  (but  not  a  seal)  of  the  cove- 
nant" between  Abraham  and  God.   Gen.  xvii.  11. 

That  is,  I  presume,  a  badge  or  sign  as  Paul  hath  it, 
Rom.  iv.  11.  to  distinguish  Abraham's  descendants 
from  Alieus  to  the  Commonwealth  of  Israel. 

Those  therefore  who  are  so  much  in  the  habit  of 
talking  about  sealing  covenant  with  God,  would  do 
well  to  consider  seriously  what  they  are  doing,  for  it 
appears  to  be  evidently  erroneous  and  somewhat  dan- 
gerous, to  represent  any  act  of  the  creature  which  is 
an  act  of  obedience,  to  any  moral  or  positive  law,  as 
rendering  valid  or  secure  any  covenant,  or  covenant 
blessing,  inasmuch  as  it  diverts  the  mind  of  the  sinner 
from  the  true  ground  of  all  hope,  and  all  stability, 
namely,  the  blood  and  obedience  of  Christ,  and  the 
oath  and  promise  of  God.  And  if  baptism  or  the  Lord's 
Supper  are  seals  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  what  is  to 
become  of  those  christians  who,  for  want  of  better 


96  Believers  Baptism, 

light,  or  from  other  motives  more  illaudable,  neglect 
both  baptism  ami  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  is  therefore 
much  to  be  regretted,  that  any  should  be  found  propa- 
gating sentiments,  and  pursuing  practices,  that  have 
no  foundation  by  precept  or  precedent,  in  the  glorious 
gospel  of  the  blessed  God.  And  1  think  it  equally  to 
be  regretted,  that  so  little  zeal  is  manifested  in  the 
cause  of  truth  by  those  who  say  they  «*esteem  all  God's 
precepts  concerning  all  things  to  be  right." 

The  Ptedobaptists  raise  objections  to  the  practice 
of  immersion,  from  the  difficulties  they  fancy  to  exist. 
Sometimes  from  want  of  convenient  water;  sometimes 
from  the  numbers  said  to  be  baptized.  But  while  no- 
thing short  of  absolute  impossibility  could  justify 
such  kind  of  objections,  in  the  fare  of  so  much  clear 
and  explicit  evidence,  it  may  be  said  with  truth,  that 
the  objections  are  of  that  nature,  that  it  requires  no 
small  degree  of  charity,  to  believe  the  objectors  sin- 
cere in  making  them.  First,  as  to  sufficient  water 
for  immersion.  When  numbers  were  to  be  baptized 
it  was  common  to  administer  the  ordinance  in  a  riv- 
er— the  river  Jordan.  Mark  i,  5.  9,  10.  Matthew  iii. 
6  to  13.  But  when  individuals  or  households,  or  even 
considerable  numbers  were  to  be  baptized,  it  was  not 
unfrequently  done  in  a  more  private  way.  The  jailor 
and  his  house,  and  Cornelius  and  his  friends,  for  in- 
stance. But  can  it  be  reasonably  supposed,  that 
there  could  be  any  want  of  water,  when  it  is  so  well 
known  that  baths  in  houses  and  gardens  were  so  com- 
mon in  that  country.  Is  it  to  be  supposed  there  was 
no  reservoir  of  water  in  the  prison  yard,  or  garden, 
or  house,  of  the  prison-keeper  of  Philippi,  near  to 
\Nhich  pan  a  river — Arts  xvi.  1  3. — or  in  the  house  of  a 
Roman  officer,  Cornelius.  It  cannot  be  proved  there 
was  not:  and  the  fact  of  baptizing  in  such  places  is, 
at  least,  a  strong  presumptive  proof  that  there  was; 
seeing  so  many  cases  are  on  record  that  evidently 
shew  the  use  of  muck  water.  In  ihe  case  of  Lydia, 
we  learn  that  she  heard  the  word  of  grace,  and  was 


Believers  Baptism.  97 

converted  to  God  by  a  river  side,  and  then  and  there 
she  and  her  household  were  baptized.  Aetsxvi.  is,  14, 
15.    And  when  three  thousand  were  to  be  baptized, 
there    surely    could    be    no    difficulty    to    immerse 
for  want  of  water.     There  was  the  pool  of  Siloam,  a 
place  of  common  resort,  in  which  the  infirm  washed. 
There  was  also  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  a  place  of  con- 
siderable  magnitude.     It  is  said   to   have  had  five 
porches,  in  which  lay  a  great  multitude  of  impotent 
folk.     Now,  without  naming  any  more,  these  would 
be  sufficient;  though  doubtless  there  were  many  pri- 
vate pools  and  baths,  and  perhaps  public  ones  also. 
There  must  have  been  abundance  of  water  used  about 
the  temple  for  all  their  divers  washings;   but  then^ 
some  Pa^dobaptists  have  tried  to  persuade  their  hear- 
ers, that  the  prejudices  of  the  Jews  were  so  strong, 
that  they  would  not  suffer  the  apostles  to  use  their 
sacred  waters,  (as  they  are  pleased  to  call  them.) 
How  exceeding  weak  and  futile  are  such  objections! 
They  are  indeed  a  reflection,  both  on  the  understand- 
ing and  integrity  of  the  objectors;  for,  let  it  be  ob- 
served first,  that  the  three  thousand  baptized  were 
Jews,  or  mostly  such,  and  had  a  common  right  to  all 
their  public  waters;  and  further,  such  was  the  power 
of  God  displayed,  that  fear  fell  upon  all  the  people,  even 
great  fear  upon  every  soul — Acts  ii.  43. — and  many 
wonders  and  signs  were  done  by  the  apostles.     It 
was  a  day  of  wonder,  and  it  was  not  (on  such  occa- 
sions) for  a  few  vicious  priests  and  bigotted  Phari- 
sees to  offer  any  opposition:  but  especially  I  would 
have  itobseved,  that  these  v*ry  apostles  who  are  sup- 
posed by  our  opponents  to  be  refused  the  use  of  pub- 
lic pools,  are  permitted  to  make  frequent  use  of  the 
public  temple,  and  not  only  like  their  Master,  reprove 
and   rebuke  the  scribes,  lawyers  and  Pharisees,  in 
their  own  temple,  but  frequently  to  preach  the  words 
of  life  and  salvation  to  the  people,  without  asking 
permission  of  any.     Now  surely,  if  the  Jews  would 
have  guarded  their  pools  from  such  a  use,  they  would 


98  Believers  Baptism. 

much  more  have  guarded  their  temple,  which  they 
held  so  sacred.  These  kind  of  arguments  brought 
forward  against  the  apostolic  practice  of  immersion, 
can  have  no  lasting  effect  on  any  but  the  unwary,  the 
indolent,  and  the  weak. 

But  it  is  further  objected,  that  on  this  occasion  the 
number  was  so  considerable  that  they  could  not  have 
had  time  to  immerse  them.  When  men  adduce  suck 
weak  arguments,  it  proves  they  have  no  better.  Does 
it  not  take  Psedobaptists  as  long  to  sprinkle,  as  it  does 
Baptists  to  immerse?  Doubtless  it  does;  but  perhaps  it 
will  be  said,  that  the  apostles,  on  the  plan  of  the  Pa?- 
dobaptists,  could  have  marshalled  them  in  rows  and 
have  sprinkled  them  from  a  bowl  of  water  by  dozens 
or  hundreds,  as  the  priests  under  the  law  sprinkled 
the  people  with  a  bunch  of  hysop,  or  as  popish  priests 
sprinkle  the  people  with  holy  water;  but  so  did  not 
the  apostles  of  the  lamb,  they  did  every  thing  "de- 
cently and  in  order." 

But  to  attend  a  little  further  to  the  objection  on 
the  score  of  time.  Was  there  not  time  for  immersion? 
yes,  assuredly,  the  time  is  noted  to  be  the  third  hour, 
(that  is  nine  o'clock  )  Now  it  appears  that  the  apos- 
tles had  been  long  speaking  before  tins  hour,  in  about 
fourteen  different  languages,  the  report  of  it  had 
spread  through  Jerusalem,  the  people  had  gathered 
together  and  were  confounded;  no  doubt  they  had 
been  speaking  from  the  commencement  of  day. — 
«  When  the  day  of  pentecost  was  fully  come,"  Acts  ii. 
1.  the  probability  therefore  is,  that  after  this  effect 
from  Peter's  ministry,  that  he  did  not  speak 
long,  say  one  hour,  and  there  is  no  appearance 
of  any  other  of  the  apostles  speaking  after  this,  so 
that  this  would  close  the  public  preaching  at  ten 
o'clock.  The  number  of  the  apostles  was  twelve,  by 
which  divide  three  thousand,  and  it  gives  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  to  each  apostle:  Now  I  would  ask  how 
long  need  a  man  be  baptizing  his  brother  where  oc- 
casion required  despatch?  Can  it  not  be  done,  and  is 


Believers  Baptism.  99 

it  not  often  done  with  perfect  decency  and  decorum 
in  one  minute?  Doubtless  it  can  and  is.  This  would 
not  take  quite  four  hours  and  a  quarter.  Isow  allow 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  to  go  to  convenient  places 
after  public  speaking  closed— tins  would  only  bring 
it  to  three  o'clock.  There  would  then  be  three  hours 
of  the  Jewish  day  remaining, ^hich  was  surely  more 
than  enough  to  receive  this  highly  favored  army  into 
the  fellowship  of  the  church.  It  will  be  observed,  that 
I  have  taken  no  notice  of  the  seventy  disciples,  whom 
the  Lord  sent  forth  to  preach;  and  if  they  were  pre- 
sent and  assisted  on  this  occasion,  which  is  more  than 
probable,  it  would,  in  that  case,  reduce  the  number  to 
be  baptized  by  each  administrator,  to  about  thirty- 
six. 

Thus  much  for  these  kind  of  objections  against  be- 
lievers baptism  by  immersion.  1  am  well  aware  that 
truth  does  not  require  either  geographical  criticism 
or  arithmetical  calculations:  but  when  the  opposers 
of  a  scriptural  practice  bring  forward  (f  >r  the  want  of 
something  better,)  their  profound  calculations  to  per- 
plex us,  it  becomes  necessary  to  rebut  them,  because 
the  unwary,  the  indolent,  and  the  weak,  are  beguiled. 

Before  1  dismiss  this  interesting  piece  of  New  Tes- 
tament history,  namely,  the  conversion  and  baptism  of 
three  thousand  souls,  and  their  addition  to  the  church 
of  Christ,  I  must  be  permitted  to  ask  our  opponents 
this  question:  If  children  were  baptized  in  the  apos- 
tles days,  how  came  it  to  pass,  that  of  all  this  mighty 
number  that  were  baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  not  one  of  them  appears  to  have  brought  a 
single  infant  for  baptism?  The  reverse  indeed  appears 
clear  and  decisive,  from  trie  passage  connected  with 
the  account  of  their  baptism — Acts  ii.  42. — "They 
(that  is,  those  who  were  baptized)  continued  stedfast- 
ly  in  the  apostles  doctrine,  and  fellowship,  and  in 
breaking  of  bread,  and  in  prayer."  These  arc  acts 
that  can  only  be  performed,  by  living  and  believing 
members  of  Christ  and  his  church,  "infants  eannot 


l@e  Believers  Baptism. 

perform  them.  There  can  be  then  no  infants  in  this 
goodly  ami  highly  favored  company.  How  vain  then 
for  .PsedobaptfstS  to  talk  of  their  infant  members, 
made  so  (say  they)  by  baptism,  when  they  know  they 
are  utterly  incapable  of  the  fore-named  acts.  Infants 
can  know  nothing  of  ••the  apostles  doctrine,"  much 
less  can  thc^y  shew  "stedfastncss  in  it."  They  can- 
not know  any  thing  of  "fellowship  with  the  saints." 
They  vthat  is  infants)  arc  not  permitted  to  "break 
bread"  hi  Christ's  name;  and  if  they  were,  they  could 
not  "discern  the  Lord's  body,"  and  do  it  in  a  believ- 
ing remembrance  of  him,  nor  are  they  capable,  as  in- 
fants, of  "continuing  in  prayer,"  or  of  once  offering 
the  prayer  of  faith. 

Among*  all  the  objections  brought  against  immer- 
sion and  in  favor  of  sprinkling,  it  is  not  usual  to  find 
any  brought  from  the  meaning  of  the  word  "baptize," 
or  any  of  its  derivatives,  as  baptism,  baptizing,  bap- 
tist, &c.  That  ground  has  been  generally  ceded  to  the 
Baptists  by  men  of  the  first  information.  That  is, 
they  have  admitted  what  none  can  with  truth  deny, 
that  the  primary  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  rendered 
baptize,  is  to  dip,  as  a  dyer  dips  his  cloth  to  tinge  it, 
to  plunge,  so  as  to  immerse,  to  overwhelm  whatever, 
or  whoever  is  baptized.  Such  candid  men  on  the  Pse- 
dobaptists  side,  have  only  contended  that  its  secondary 
meaning  is  to  wash;  and  that  to  dip  or  immerse,  is 
only  in  order  to  wash,  and  as  washing  can  be  done 
without  immersion,  it  is  not  expedient  so  to  do.  But 
while  Psedobaptists  have  in  general,  very  many  of 
them,  made  such  concessions,  some  few  have  ventur- 
ed in  their  zeal  to  affirm  that  the  word  xciy  rarely, 
if  ever,  is  used  to  express  immersion.  This  certainly 
is  bold,  and  not  calculated  to  impress  a  very  high  opin- 
ion of  their  candor  or  correctness;  for  if  men  of  learn- 
ing. Baptists  and  Psedobaptists,  lexicographers  and 
critics,  are  capable  of  knowing  the  meaning  of  the 
word,  and  worthy  of  being  credited,  it  is  not  true; 
and  unfortunately  for  such  champions  of  error,  they 


Believers  Baptism .  101 

do  not,  nor  cannot  produce  a  single  passage,  in  which 
the  word  was  used  to  express  the  act  of  Sprinkling; 
not  one! — and  in  those  passages  where  it  is  rendered 
wash,  it  is  evidently  a  result  Mowing  from  immersion. 
They  know  well  that  the  Jews,  when  they  went  to  eat, 
and  when  they  had,  or  supposed  they  had,  contracted 
any  uncleanness,  they  plunged,  or  immersed  their 
hands  in  water.  They  did  not  sprinkle  a  few  drops 
on  them,  or  even  pour  a  small  quantity  on  them  out 
of  a  vessel — no;  they  plunged  them  in  the  vess  I:  and 
those  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  Rabin  teal 
writings  say,  that  in  proportion  to  the  degree  of  pol- 
lution they  had  contracted,  so  they  dippped  their 
hands,  more  or  less  deep,  to  the  wrist,  or  to  the  el- 
bow, or  still  deeper;  thus  it  appears,  that  in  order  to 
wash  they  plunged,  and  not  sprinkled.  What  argu- 
ment then  does  this  practice  (called  washing)  furnish 
against  the  legitimate  meaning  of  the  word,  or  the 
scriptural  practice  of  immersion,  still  maintained  hy 
the  Baptists,  and  for  more  than  thirteen  centuries 
practised  by  all  Christendom,  as  it  yet  is  by  the 
Greek  church.  The  learned  Dr.  Whitby  informs 
us,  that  "Immersion  was  religiously  observed  by  all 
christians  for  thirteen  centuries,  and  was  approved 
by  the  church  of  England, "  of  which  he  was  a  cler- 
gyman; and  even  Dr.  Wall,  in  his  history  of  infant 
baptism,  declares  "that  all  the  countries  in  the  world 
which  never  regarded  the  usurped  authority  of  the 
Pope,  still  use  dipping  in  a  font/'  Thus  have  two 
eminent  Predobaptists  admitted,  that  immersion  is 
the  scriptural  and  long  practised  mode,  till  the  Pope's 
influence,  seconded  by  the  assembly  of  divines  (as 
they  are  called)  at  Westminster,  almost  blotted  it  out 
of  use,  except  as  retained  and  practised  by  a  despi- 
sed people,,  who  hold  it  their  duty  and  their  honor 
"to  keep  the  ordinances  of  the  Lord,  as  they  were 
delivered  unto  them." 

I  would  now  solemnly  ask  Pa^dobaptists  of  every 
name  this  interesting  question:  "JVas  Jesus  Christ's 
14 


102  Believers  Baptism. 

baptism  sprinkling,  or  immersion?"  that  baptism  about 
which  he  thus  speaks,  **I  have  a  baptism  to  be  bap- 
tized with,  and  how  am  I  straitened  until  it  he  ac- 
complished." I  think  no  friend  of  Christ's  will  say 
that  his  sufferings  were  mere  drops  or  gentle  pour- 
ings; no,  sirs,  "his  baptism  (as  Mr.  Hart  says)  was 
a  baptism  deep  indeed,  o'er  hands,  and  feet,  and  face, 
and  head." — He  was  immersed,  overwhelmed,  not 
sprinkled  with,  but  plunged  into,  a  sea  of  suffering, 
so  as  to  make  him  cry  "all  thy  billows  and  thy 
wares  are  gone  over  me."  He  endured  all  that  the 
floods  of  ungodly  men  could  inflict  in  their  hour! — 
He  bore  all  that  the  old  dragon  Satan,  (who  poured  a 
flood  out  against  the  church)  could  afflict  him  with 
in  his  hour,  the  power  of  darkness!  and  what  was 
far  more  dreadful,  he  bore  the  floods  of  divine  dis- 
pleasure when  "the  pains  of  hell  got  hold  upon  him,*' 
when  in  the  bitterness  of  his  soul  he  exclaimed,  "Let 
not  the  pit  shut  her  mouth  upon  me!"  Here  surely, 
baptism  means  nothing  less  than  to  he  plunged  into 
unutterable  sufferings,  overwhelming  anguish  and 
misery. — "Of  his  sufferings  s>  intense,  angels  have 
no  perfect  sense;  'tis  to  God,  and  God  alone,  that 
their  weight  is  fully  known."  Thus  much  for  the 
baptism  of  suffering,  which  it  appears  was  Ufct  sprink- 
ling but  immersion. 

I  will  now  draw  the  attention  of  my  readers  to  the 
baptism  of  the  spirit,  and  here  we  shall  find  nothing 
about  sprinkling,  but  before  I  proceed  permit  me  to 
observe,  that  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  not 
his  converting  and  regenerating  influence,  but  his 
miraculous  presence  and  operation,  such  as  no  mai< 
is  now  the  partaker  of.  When  men  therefore  now, 
talk  of  being  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  they  know 
not  what  they  say,  nor  whereof  they  affirm:  and  I 
wish  this  fact  to  be  attentively  observed  and  remem- 
bered, for  many  mistakes  may  arise  out  of  this  mis- 
take. But  to  come  to  the  proof,  let  the  instances  on 
record  where  men  appear  to  be  baptized  with   the 


Believers  Baptism.  103. 

Holy  Ghost,  be  carefully  considered,  and  it  will  evi- 
dently appear,  that  it  was  not  at,  or  to  effect  their 
conversion,  but  after  their  conversion,  and  miracu- 
lous influence  immediately  manifested  itself.  "'They 
spake  with  tongues,"  &c.  Acts  x.  48.  That  Cornelius 
was  a  converted  man  (though  but  ill  informed)  needs 
no  better  proof  than  this,  that,  "he  feared  God  and 
wrought  righteousness;"  and  he,  on  the  preaching  of 
Peter  was  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  "he  fell  on 
all  that  heard  the  word,  and  they  spake  With  tongues 
and  magnified  God."   Acts  x.  46. 

The  Corinthian  disciples  also,  mentioned  Actsxix. 
1  to  6,  were  converted,  were  believers,  and  Mere 
baptized,  and  tlien  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost;  they 
were  enveloped  and  filled  with  his  miraculous  pre- 
sense  and  influence,  "and  they  spake  with  tongues, 
and  prophesied." 

B!it  the  most  striking  instance  is  in  the  apostles 
themselves.  In  Arts  i.  5.  we  have  this  promise  of 
Christ  to  them. — "Ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost  not  many  days  hence.'*  When  was  this 
promise  accomplished?  doubtless  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost, when  they  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one 
place.  Acts  ii.  1,  2,  3.  4.  when  "a  rushing  mighty 
wind  filled  all  the  house  where  they  were  sitting,"  and 
then  this  rushing  mighty  wind  assumed,  or  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  appearance  of  "cloven  tongues,  as  of 
five,  which  sat  (or  rested)  on  each  of  them,  and  they 
were  all  filled  with  tiie  Holy  Ghost."  We  are  surely 
to  understand  by  this  rushing  mighty  wind  the  mi- 
raculous  presence  and  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
with  which  according  to  the  promise — Acts  i.  5. — 
they  were  baptized;  not  sprinkled,  but  immersed,  en- 
veloped, for  observe,  it  "filled  them,  and  filled  all  the 
house,  where  they  were  sitting:"  consequently  im- 
mersed them — this  Peter  calls  the  pouring  out  of  the 
Spirit,  promised  in  Joel's  prophesy.  Acts  ii.  17,  18. 
Not  a  sparing  sprinkling,  but  a  copious  effusion;  such 
a  pouring  out  as  did  completely  baptize  the  subjects. 


104  Believers  Baptism. 

This  was  indeed  "pouring  water  upon  the  thirsty, 
exenjioods  upon  the  dry  ground" — not  drops,  observe, 
but^oods.  These  and  similar  instances  of  the  mi- 
raculous presence  and  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
appear  to  be  what  is  meant  by  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit,  and  such  instances  were  common  in  the  apos- 
tolic age,  but  are  now  totally  unknown. 

Let  not  christians  then  talk  at  random  of  being 
baptized  with  the  Spirit;  but  content  themselves  if 
they  possess  evidence,  that  they  are  ♦♦born  again  of 
the  Spirit,  regenerated  by  the  Spirtt,  taught  by  the 
Spirit,  and  led  by  the  Spirit,"  for  such  are  "heirs  of 
promise  and  children  of  God — such  are  Christ's,  and 
their  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God;  and  when  Christ, 
who  is  their  life,  shall  appear,  they  also  shall  appear 
with  him  in  glory,  and  so  shall  they  ever  be  with  the 
Lord."  So  says  the  Spirit  of  truth,  and  on  this  foun- 
dation the  apostles  advice  is,  «•  Comfort  one  another 
with  these  words."  Let  not  the  opponents  of  believ- 
ers baptism  by  immersion,  the  advocates  of  infant 
sprinkling,  think  to  find  any  analogy  (that  will  help 
them  out)  between  the  Spirit's  baptism,  and  the 
sprinkling  a  few,  very  few  drops  of  water  on  the  face 
of  a  child,  for  it  has  been  clearly  shewn,  that  to  be 
baptized  with  the  Spirit,  is  to  be  a  partaker  of  a 
plenitude  of  his  miraculous  presence  and  influence. 

Once  more: — It  is  sometimes  made  a  matter  of 
triumph  by  Psedobaptists,  that  there  is  mention  made 
by  Paul — i  Cor.  x.  1,  2. — of  a  baptism,  in  which  they 
suppose  it  evident  that  children  were  baptized, 
though  this  by  no  means  appears  from  the  passage; 
for  although  there  was  women  and  children,  and  a 
large  mixed  multitude  that  followed  the  camp  of  Is- 
rael, yet  no  mention  is  made  of  either  the  one  or  the 
other.  Paul  only  says,  that  "all  our  fathers  were 
under  the  cloud,  and  all  passed  through  the  sea.  and 
were  all  baptized  unto  Moses,  in  the  sea,  and  in  the 
cloud."  It  seems  an  unwarrantable  stretch  of  words, 
to  include  women  and  children,  male  and  female,  and 


Believers  Baptism.  105 

a  mixed  multitude,  under  the  appellation  of  "our  fa- 
thers." It  seems  far  more  natural  and  congenial  to 
truth,  to  suppose  that  the  -words  include  only  the 
grown  up  men  of  Israel,  (or  perhaps  only  the  heads 
of  houses)  who  were  in  truth  the  fathers  of  the  Jew- 
ish nation.  But  whoever  they  were,  we  are  inform- 
ed, that  "With  many  of  them  God  was  not  well  pleas- 
ed," for  *»he  overthrew  them  in  the  wilderness.'* 
Even  many  of  those  who  were  haptized,  appear  to 
be  such  as  "coveted  after  evil  things,  were  idolaters, 
and  committed  fornication,  and  fell  in  one  day  three 
and  twenty  thousand."  1  Cor.  x.  5,  6,  7,  8.  Such 
characters  could  not  be  the  children  of  the  men  of 
Israel.  They  were  not  capable  of  such  crimes,  nor 
were  they  overthrown  in  the  wilderness,  but  were 
preserved,  and  finally  brought  into  the  goodly  land 
promised  to  their  fathers,  who  "entered  not  in  be- 
cause of  unbelief."  But  if  it  were  necessary  to  un- 
derstand the  expression  "all  our  fathers ,"  as  includ- 
ing the  children,  yet  what  (I  ask)  would  be  gained 
to  the  cause  of  infant  sprinkling?  Verily  nothing. 
For  under  the  gospel  we  have  nothing  national,  nor 
have  we  any  thing  federative;  but  all  is  personal,, 
while  under  the  law  there  was  much  of  both — mere 
descent  conferred  on  the  children  the  privilege  per- 
taining to  the  parent. 

Further:  as  to  the  mode  practised  by  Psedobaptists, 
there  appears  nothing  in  the  circumstances  here  re- 
corded, to  favor  in  the  least  the  practice  of  sprinkling; 
for  they  are  said  to  be  baptized  "in  the  cloud  and  in 
the  sea,"  not  from  the  sea  or  cloud,  as  though  a  small 
spray  from  the  sea,  or  a  few  drops  of  rain  from  the 
cloud,  had  fallen  on  them — no,  not  so — but  words  are 
used  which  evidently  denote  immersion — Cor.  x.  2. 
"They  were  all  baptized  unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and 
in  the  sea."  That  is,  I  conceive,  they  were  all  buri- 
ed, as  it  were,  in  the  channel  of  the  sea,  and  under 
tiie  covering  of  a  circumambient  cloud;  buried  to  all 
expectation  from  and  connexion  with  Egypt,  or  any 


106  Believers  Baptism. 

of  its  good  things,  (all  of  which  were  emblematic  of 
this  evil  world  and  a  carnal  state,)  and  after  being 
so  buried,  they  experienced  a  figurative  resurrection; 
they  rose  from  out  of  the  sea,  and  from  under  the  cloud, 
to  Moses.  That  is,  subject  to  his  government  as  king 
in  Jeshurun,  and  Go  i's  vicegerent,  at  least,  they  were 
professedly  subject.  And  although  I  did  not  think 
myself  bound  to  answer  thus,  the  objection  raised 
from  this  occurrence,  inasmuch  as  it  was  no  ordi- 
nance, or  religious  institution  of  any  dispensation, 
but  an  extraordinary  occurrence,  from  which  I  think 
no  argument  ought  to  be  brought,  to  determine  either 
the  subject,  or  mode  of  an  ordinance,  that  had  no  ex- 
istence until  the  christian  era,  yet  nevertheless,  as 
our  opponents  are  wont  to  make  a  handle  of  it, 
I  have  considered  it,  and  combated  their  argu- 
ments, and  1  verily  believe,  that  it  would  puzzle  the 
ingenuity  of  the  most  acute,  to  make  these  circum- 
stances look  like  any  thing  short  of  immersion. 

It  appears  to  be  extremely  ridiculous  to  contend, 
as  our  opponents  do,  that  the  mere  application  of  wa- 
ter to  the  subject,  constitutes  the  essence  of  baptism; 
every  thing  that  baptism  is  made  (in  scripture)  to 
represent,  forbids  such  an  absurd  idea,  such  as  a  bu- 
rial, and  resurrection  in  particular.  Who  among  all 
the  analogical  reasoners  has  ingenuity  enough,  to 
trace  any  likeness,  between  the  sprinkling  of  a  few 
drops  of  water  on  the  face  of  an  infant,  and  the  buri- 
al and  resurrection  of  a  human  body.  I  expect  no 
one  will  undertake  so  impracticable  a  task;  and  fur- 
ther I  would  ask,  when  afflictions  and  intense  suffer- 
ings are  compared  to,  and  called  a  baptism?  Is  water 
in  any  small  quantity  alluded  to,  or  an  overwhelming 
quantity?  Surely  a  small  quantity  is  always  salutary, 
and  desirable,  and  water  can  never  be  made  the  em- 
blem of  suffering  and  death,  except  when  a  consider- 
able quantity  is  alluded  to,  not  drops,  to  sprinkle;  but 
floods,  billows,  waves,  to  immerse,  to  overwhelm,  then 
indeed,  and  only  then,  it  is  a  very  apt  emblem  of 
suffering:. 


Believers  Baptism.  107 

Was  Christ's  sufferings  (which  I  have  already  treat- 
ed on)  the  mere  application  of  suffering,  just  touching 
him  as  it  were?  >r  wore  they  overwhelming  suffer- 
ings? doubtless  they  were  of  the  latter  character;  hut 
be  it  remembered,  Ch list's  sufferings  are  called  a 
baptism;  to  baptize  then,  is  to  immerse,  and  not  to 
sprinkle,  and  to  be  a  fit  subject  for  baptism,  is  to  he  a 
partaker  of  repentance  towards  God,  and  faith  in  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  glory.     Amen. 

Thus  truth  must  prevail, 
And  error  must  fail, 

If  scripture's  aliow'd  to  decide: 
Though  foes  may  contend, 
Stiil  Jesus  our  friend, 

Defenders  of  truth,  will  provide. 

They  blow  the  ram's  horn, 
Which  enemies  scorn, 

But  Jerico's  walls  will  fall  down. 
The  gospel  they  preach, 
With  plainness  of  speech, 

And  Jesus  their  efforts  will  own. 

To  further  his  praise, 
In  these  gospel  days, 

And  sinners  from  darkness  to  turn. 
From  darkness  to  light, 
By  his  Spirit's  might, 

Which  makes  their  cold  bosoms  to  bum. 

With  love  to  his  will, 
They  long  to  fulfil, 

"Whate'er  is  enjoin'd  or  advis'd. 
Themselves  they  deny, 
With  truth  they  comply, 

And  then  in  his  name  are  baptiz'd. 


108  Believers  Baptism. 

"One  faith"  they  possess, 
"One  Lord"  they  confess, 

By  immersion  "one  baptism'5  own: 
One  gospel  they  love, 
One  law  they  approve. 

And  one — Lord  of  all  gladly  crown- 


<®®i©2Stjyk  i>2m©m 


THE  PLAGUE  OF  THE  HEART. 


Tfie  heart  knoweth  his  own  bitterness. — Prov.  xiv.  1C 

My  present  theme,  with  grief  and  shame  I  sing, 
The  mournful  truth  to  tell,  jet  dare  not  hide. 
That  man  is  guilty,  and  throughout  defil'd, 
I  feel  too  sad  a  proof,  alas!  within. 
Through  all  my  powers  a  vile  contagion  runs, 
That  taints  each  thought,  and  every  action  spoils, 
My  head  is  wholly  sick,  my  heart  is  feint, 
No  part  in  me  is  sound — unclean  I  cry, 
And  view  with  shame  my  leprous  spots  deep  stain'd. 
With  a  disease  that  loathsome  is,  my  loins 
Are  fill'd,  and  in  the  night  my  sore  doth  run, 
Nor  doth  it  cease  by  day,  oozing  corruption  out. 
Thus  from  my  reins  instruction  I  receive, 
And  learn  that  in  my  flesh  there  dwells  no  good, 
The  fountain's  foul!  the  streams  are  all  impure! 

Through  grace  I  hate,,  but  cannot  cease  from  sin, 
Myself  I  loathe,  and  from  myself  would  fly, 
But  can't  escape,  and  being  burden'd  groan, 
And  for  deliv'rance  sigh. —  With  tears  I  wet 
My  sleepless  couch;  but  still,  alas!  I'm  bound, 
Or  moral  death  is  bound  to  me;  and  hope 
Of  victory's  weak: — "O  wretched  man,"  I  cry, 
And  from  my  wounded  aching  heart,  bursts  forth, 
In  mournful  accents  deep,  "Who  shall  deliver  me' 
K 


110 

Then  look  with  longing  eyes,  and  watch  and  wait 
For  days,  and  weeks,  and  months,  and  years,  almost 
In  vain,  for  no  complete  deliv?rance  comes. 
(And  you,  my  reader,  if  yourself  you  know, 
To  what  I  here  have  wrote,  must  needs  subscribe.) 

>Tis  true,  the  snare  is  often  broke  (through  grace,) 
And  I  escape  the  net:  but  soon,  alas! 
Another  web  the  artful  fowler  weaves, 
My  heedless  feet  to  catch,  and  wound  my  soul, 
Me  piercing  through,  with  sorrows  deep  infixt 

"To  witt9"  what  to  my  Lord  well  pleasing  is, 
"I  present  find;"  but  to  perform  the  thing 
That's  truly  good,  W  pow'r  I  cannot  find, 
Except  to  will  and  do  he  kindly  works. 
(Say,  tried  believer,  is  't  not  thus  with  your) 

I  would  indeed  do  good,  and  hate  the  ill  I  do, 
But  when  that  good  to  do  I  strive,  I  find 
Sin  present  there,  and  all  my  efforts  fail. 
The  thing  I  would  not,  I  too  often  do, 
And  what  I  would,  too  often  leave  undone, 
And  to  the  law  consent,  that  6*it  is  good." 

0  may  1  add,  without  offence  to  God, 
Or  to  the  godly,  whom  T  truly  love, 
«'Tis  no  more  J"  that  do  the  thing  I  hate, 
But  sin  that  in  me  dwells,  and  wars  against 
The  grace  of  God,  implanted  in  the  soul. 

1  with  the  inward  man,  in  God's  good  law 
Delight,  and  with  my  mind  that  law  I  serve; 
But  in  my  members  feel  the  law  of  sin, 

A' id  with  my  fiesh  too  oft  that  law  I  serve, 
Against  my  will,  and  to  my  constant  grief. 


Ill 

With  broken  heart,  and  self  abhorrence  too, 
I  feel  the  pest,  the  plague  of  my  own  heart, 
And,  "wretched  man,'*  again  I  cry,  and  ask    . 
Who  shall  deliverance  bring  complete,  and  when, 
From  this  base  load,  so  strongly  bound  to  me? 
My  foe  so  often  Mounds,  and  casts  me  down, 
In  this  continued  war  with  flesh  and  blood, 
And  principalities,  and  powers  base, 
E'en  those  who  rule  the  darkness  of  this  world. 
And  in  the  sons  of  disobedience  work; 
That  'tis  with  trembling  hope  and  feeble  faith, 
I  say,  "thank  God  through  Christ ,"  my  gracious  Lord. 

I  by  the  archers  have  been  hurt — At  me 
They  shot — and  in  a  vital  part  they  pierced, 
With  poison'd  shafts,  the  victim  of  their  rage: 
And  in  the  place  of  dragons  I've  been  broke, 
And  o'er  me  oft  the  exulting  foe  hath  stood, 
And  cried  "Ae's  down,  and  he  shall  rise  no  more.'* 
(And  this,  the  lot  of  many  is  I  know. 

But,  0,  amazing! — Love  and  pow'r  divine. 
Oft  from  the  dunghill  of  corruption  foul, 
And  dust  of  self  abasement,  where  I  laid, 
My  beggar'd,  begging  soul  hath  lifted  up. 
To  him  therefore,  the  friend  of  friendless  man. 
Who  me  remember'd  in  my  low  estate, 
My  pray'r  I  will  direct,  and  still  look  up: 
In  safety  set  my  soul,  shall  be  my  plea, 
From  him  who  at  me  pufts,  and  plead/  my  cause 
'Gainst  every  foe,  that  'gainst  me  may  arise, 
Of  earth  or  hell,  within  me  or  without. 

And  will  not  God  a  prisoner's  groans  attend. 
Who  night  and  day  pours  out  his  soul  in  tears 2 


112 

He  will!  (though  long  his  hand  forbear)  avenge 

The  needy  soul,  who  for  salvation  sighs! 

Yea,  though  he  oft  may  fall,  he  still  shall  rise, 

And  though  in  darkness  he  may  sit,  tiie  Lord 

Shall  be  his  light,  his  sun  and  shield. 

Then  O  my  weary  soul,  wit'i  every  ill  beset, 

Be  not  cast  down,  though  weak  and  friendless  too, 

Hope  thou  in  God,  he  thy  salvation  is, 

And  thou  shalt  live  (his  word  of  grace  is  past.) 

Through  endless  days,  his  saving  grace  to  praise! 

And  now,  my  reader,  whomsoe'er  thou  art, 
A  home-bred  ploughman,  or  a  school -bred  priest, 
A  man  of  sober  sense,  or  pedant  proud, 
An  humble  Mary,  or  censorious  prude, 
Whate'eryou  are  (my  reader)  rich  or  poor, 
Or  young  or  old,  or  bound  by  men,  or  free, 
Or  rude,  or  polish'd,  or  sedate,  or  gay, 
It  matters  not  in  this,  one  thing  is  clear, 
No  human  being  e'er  knew  God  or  trurh, 
That  did  not  know  himself  a  sinner  vile, 
Deprav'd  throughout,  from  head  to  foot  denTd, 
And  from  the  heart  confess'd— '"'Behold  I'm  vile." 

I  know  full  well,  the  wise5  in  self  conceit, 
And  pure  in  their  own  eyes,  will  censure  me, 
And  blindly  judge  my  language  far  too  strong, 
And  say  stand  by,  at  humble  distance  keep. 
But  those  whom  God  hath  taught  to  know  themselves. 
Judse  more  correct — Thev  feel  within  ranch  more 
Than  I've  advanced,  and  know  the  likeness  just. 

Be  not  discourag'd,  friend,  "//*//  heart's  prepared" 
To  thy  blest  L»>r  1.  salvation  to  ascribe, 
And  that  alone's  the  blissful  song  of  heaven— ♦ 


US 


Sung  by  the  happy  millions  there,  who  lay 
Themselves  and  crowns,  low  at  their  Saviour's  feet. 


While  thus  the  believer  is  tried, 

With  the  law  of  corruption  within, 
Foes  press  him  on  every  side, 

Against  his  dear  Saviour  to  sin. 
He  thus  his  heart's  bitterness  knows, 

As  no  one  that's  dead  ever  can, 
But  faith  in  the  furnace  best  grows, 

From  that  of  a  babe  to  a  man. 
Yet,  though  he  in  bitterness  mourn, 

O'er  the  plague  of  his  own  depraved  heart 
He  has  joys  (that  infidels  scorn, 

In  which  they,  alas,  have  no  part,) 
Which  spring  from  the  fountain  of  love, 

And  flow  through  a  channel  of  blood — 
E'en  his  who  came  down  from  above, 

Whom  once  he  so  basely  withstood — 
WTho  for  him  a  righteousness  wrought, 

And  died  his  lost  soul  to  redeem, 
(Who,  with  a  rich  price  being  bought, 

Th' good  ways  of  his  Lord  doth  esteem;) 
AVho  vanquish'd  and  spoil'd  his  grand  foe, 

And  o'er  him  triumph'd  on  the  cross — 
Then  sunk  to  the  sepulchre  lew, 

And  rose  to  declare  who  he  was, 
E'en  Jesus — God's  coequal  Son, 

With  power  to  quicken  and  save. 
Those  for  whom  he  victory  won, 

O'er  Satan,  and  Death,  and  the  Grave? 


K2 


114 
JOB'S  AFFLICTIONS. 

AND    THE    END    OF    THE    XORD. 


Great  was  the  man  I  sing,  for  wealth  renown'd, 
But  more  for  patience,  piety  and  faith, 
And  heav'nly  wisdom  in  an  age  so  dark. 
This  man,  so  great,  great  sorrows  did  endure, 
Though  God  he  fear'd,  and  ev'ry  evil  shunn'd— . 
The  most  upright  of  men — God  being  judge. 
But,  oh!  my  soul,  stand  still  and  low  adore, 
What  human  reason  cannot  comprehend. 
Satan,  the  arrant  foe  of  God  and  man, 
By  God  allow'd  to  plague  the  man  he  lov'd, — 
To  slay  his  servants  and  destroy  his  wealth — 
Oxen  and  asses — rude  Sabeans  stole, 
And  slew  their  faithful  keepers  with  the  sword. 
By  fire  mysterious,  kindled  by  the  foe, 
The  sheep  and  watchful  shepherds  all  were  burnt. 
But  one,  who  'scap'd  to  tell  the  doleful  news. 
The  cruel  Chaldeans  next,  his  camels  steal, 
Their  keepers  kill,  and  bear  their  plunder  off, 
And  only  one  escapes,  the  man  of  God  to  tell. 
But  heav'er  tidings  yet  astound  his  ear! — 
The  dread  tornado's  rais'd! — the  whirlwind  fierce, 
Which  in  its  forceful,  whirling  motion,  smote 
The  house  of  mirth,  the  dwelling  of  his  sons, 
And  threw  the  fabric  down — crushing  to  death, 
Beneath  the  ruin'd  pile,  th'  unhappy  guests, 
Servants  and  sons,  in  one  promiscuous  heap! 

Heart  rending  ills! — none  but  a  parent's  heart 
Can  truly  feel,  what  Job  must  then  have  felt. 
Oh!  how  a  father's  heart  must  yearn,  to  see 


115 

The  mangled  bodies  of  his  seven  sons, 

Cut  off  while  feasting  high,  (perhaps  in  sin!] 

But  oli!  my  soul,  God's  special  grace  admire, 

In  all  this  weight  of  woe  Job  sinned  not, 

Nor,  fool  like,  with  injustice  charg'd  his  God. 

But  his  integrity  held  fast,  and  Satan  foil'd, 

Altho'  his  wife,  (the  worst  of  snares  when  bad,) 

Reproach'd  and  tempted  him  to  curse  his  God  and  die, 

And  Satan  charg'd  with  mercenary  views, 

And  sought  permission  to  afflict  the  man, 

And  pledg'd  himself  he'd  curse  his  God  to's  face! 

He's  in  thy  hands,  the  Sov'reign  Ruler  said, 
But,  at  thy  peril,  touch  his  precious  life. 
Forth  went  the  foe  of  man,  with  malice  fraught, 
And  smote  the  saint  of  God  with  burning  biles — 
Painful  (in  the  extreme)  to  be  endured, 
And  loathsome  to  himself  and  all  his  house; 
Nor  maids,  or  men,  his  voice  obey'd  when  called. 
In  ashes  vile  the  afflicted  man  sat  down, 
And  with  a  potsherd  scraped  his  fester'd  skin, 
To  ease  the  anguish  of  the  fi'ry  pest. 
For  seven  long  days  in  silence  deep  he  sat, 
And  by  him  sat,  his  three  professed  friends, 
Then  in  stupendous  grief,  his  natal  day  he  cursed. 

Thus  Job,  the  good  and  upright  man  of  Uz, 
Was,  by  permission  of  his  gracious  God, 
Through  Satan's  agency,  severely  tried. 
His  friends,  mistaken,  him  revil'd  and  scorn'd, 
(A  work  which  friends  at  ease,  can  well  perform,) 
If  friends  they  might  be  call'd,  who  shook  their  heads 
At  one  so  sore  beset  with  grief  intense, 
And  spoke  not  what  was  right  of  him,  or  God. 


116 

God's  sovereign  acts  they  little  understood, 

And  misconstrued  his  dealings  with  their  friend: 

Presuming,  sorrows  so  exceeding  great, 

Bespoke  foul  crimes  as  great,  in  secret  done. 

Beneath  such  gross  mistakes  they  Iabour'd  hard 

To  prove  the  saint  a  hypocrite  disgnisM, 

And  bitter  words  in  scorn  unon  him  heap'd. 

But  God  his  servant  knew,  (and  he  knew  God) 

And  to  his  upright,  patient  dealings  bore 

A  good  report,  which  slander  ne'er  could  shake, 

And  he  in  turn,  spake  noble  things  of  God. 

God  lov'd  the  man,  therefore  the  man  lov'd  God, 

(As  in  his  Son  he  had  himself  reteal'd,} 

And  each  through  love  in  commendation  spake. 

Whate'er  of  good  the  man  possessM,  'twas  God 

That  good  bestow'd,  and  owh'd  the  work  was  his. 

God  in  himself  is  good,  supremely  good, 

And  from  him  emanates,  through  Christ  the  Lord, 

All  earthly  and  eternal  good  to  men. 

How  great  that  goodness  is  no  tongue  can  tell, 

Or  what  his  beauty  is  no  heart  conceive, 

For  God,  the  great  I  AM,  the  three  in  one, 

Eternal  and  unchangeably  the  same, 

The  just  and  holy  Lord,  and  Saviour  of 

The  lost, is  dimly  seen  e'en  in  his  word, 

His  radiance  is  so  bright,  his  glory  so  immense. 

And  we  by  nature  blind,  by  grace  in  part, 

And  only  part,  and  that  but  small,  we  know. 

But  if  like  Job.  our  record  is  on  high, 

We  soon  shall  know,  e'en  as  we  now  are  known. 

Mistaken  friends  may  scorn  and  say  standby, 

You're  so  impure  I  fear  you'll  me  disgrace; 

But  such  had  need  beware,  lest  se//and  pride* 

The  basis  of  such  conduct  should  be  found! 


li  r 

To  him  who  is  distressed  kind  pity  should  be  shewn. 
Our  wo'ds  should  grief  assuage,  and  strength  convey, 
And  wine  and  oil  into  the  spirit  pour 
Of  the  contrite,  by  sin  or  sorrow  'nrest. 
So  did  not  Job's  three  friends,  their  words  were  like 
Drawn  swords,  and  on  his  troubled  spirit  wrought, 
Like  vinegar  on  nitre,  freely  pour'd. 
But  he,  (though  much  appear'd  amiss  'tis  true) 
Knew  well  by  faith  his  great  Redeemer  liv'd, 
(Who  from  all  evil  would  his  soul  redeem,) 
And  that  on  earth  his  God  in  flesh  he'd  see, 
Though  worms  should  skin  and  flesh  consume: 
His  Lord  reprov'd,  and  purg'd  him  from  his  sins, 
"Whom  now  he  saw  in  purity  supreme, 
Behold  I'm  vile,  he  said,  and  stopt  his  mouth. 
And  then  (0  wondrous  grace!)  it  pleas'd  the  Lord, 
His  long  and  sore  captivity  to  turn, 
When  for  his  three  offending  friends  he  pray'd, 
"Who  spake  not  what  was  right,  as  Job  had  done, 
Whom  now  the  God  of  wisdom  own'd,  and  said, 
My  servant  Job,  for  you  I  will  accept. 
His  horn  was  once  defil'd  in  dust,  but  now, 
Above  his  foes  his  head  is  lifted  up; 
Princes  again  shall  listen  to  his  speech, 
And  silence  keep,  while  he  the  truth  unfolds, 
Nobles,  and  men  of  every  grade  give  ear, 
The  youth  with  modesty  retire,  while  men 
Of  years  stand  up,  and  all  due  deference  pay. 
TV  accusers  now  turn  supplicants  and  pray 
Their  slander'd  friend  to  act  for  them  as  Priest' 
The  cruel  tongue  of  defamation's  mute, 
And  Job,  the  friend  of  God,  to  honor  rais'd. 
Then  God  restor'd  more  than  his  foes  had  stole, 
With  seven  stout  sons,  and  lovely  daughters  three, 
Th'unrival'd  beauties  of  the  land  of  Uz. 


118 

This  rich  man  now,  had  many  friends,  who  scorn'd 
In  deep  adversity,  his  soul  to  know: 
Such  friends  as  these  are  numerous  and  cheap, 
Who  slander  when  they  ought  to  sympathize; 
My  soul  into  their  secret  never  come, 
Nor  be  my  honor  with  them  ever  joiird. 
Such  are  the  fickle  ways  of  men;  but  God, 
Howe'er  he  may  chastise,  and  hide  his  face, 
Is  of  one  mind,  and  doth  at  all  times  love, 
And  to  his  own,  sticks  closer  than  a  brother  doth. 

Then  trust  not  thy  own  heart,  thou  feeble  saint, 
Nor  yet  thy  fellow  man,  whose  help  is  vain, 
But  trust  with  all  thy  heart,  in  Job's  Almighty  friend, 
Who  ne'er  forsook  his  servant  in  distress. 
Whose  great  affliction  we  have  seen  with  pain, 
And  view'd  with  pleasure  God's  most  gracious  end. 
Then  let  his  holy  Name  be  magnified, 
By  all  on  earth,  and  all  the  glorified. 


THE  HEIRS  OF  LIFE. 


If  children,  then  heirs.  Sfc. — Rom.  viii.  17. 

The  heirs  of  life  are  now  my  chosen  theme, 
O  may  I  trace  their  lineaments  correct, 
As  guided  by  a  monitor  divine, 
Nor  aught  distort,  nor  aught  through  fear  conceal, 
But  all  their  comely  parts  display  to  view, 
And  their  uncomely  ones  with  grief  confess. 
But  e'er  I  do  proceed  I  fain  would  ask, 
Dost  thou,  in  truth,  my  reader,  long  to  know, 
If  thou  an  heir  of  life  art  made?  Then  read, 


119 

With  pray'r,  what  for  thy  good  I  here  present 
In  this,  my  feeble,  unembelhsh'd  song. 

And  be  it  known  to  thee,  truth  being  judge, 
The  heirs  of  life  are  those  whom  God  ordain'd. 
To  life  eternal  e'er  the  world  began. 
Gave  to  Ins  Son,  and  ga\e  them  life  in  him — 
Those  whom  the  Son  received,  to  union  with 
Himself,  the  living  and  life  giving  head. 
"Whom  to  redeem,  of  woman  he  was  made, 
And  liv'd  obedient,  and  obedient  died, 
The  precept  thus  fulfilling,  and  the  curse 
In  ev'rv  form  endured,  as  cfod's  pure  Lamb— 
From  the  beginning  slain,  in  purpose  and  in  type, 
For  whom  the  holy  Jesus  sin  was  made, 
(Though  hard  to  be  believ'd)  sin  to  atone— 
For  whom  the  blest  Redeemer  on  the  cross, 
The  prince  of  hell,  (who  had  the  pow?r  of  death) 
In  single  combat  fought,  and  overthrew. 

For  these  (with  him  joint  heirs)  the  Saviour  rose. 
And  in  the  majesty  of  God  went  up, 
The  grand  designs  of  love  to  carry  on, 
And  bring  th'  heirs  home  unto  their  Father,  God, 
That  with  their  elder  Brother  they  might  dwell. 

But  some,  perhaps,  may  say — It  may  be  so — 
The  heirs  of  life  maybe  the  ones  you  draw — 
For  whom  such  great  and  glorious  things  were  done. 
And  still  are  doing — But  still,  the  record 
None  e'er  saw.  If  it  exists,  'tis  hidden  deep 
From  mortal  eyes— for  secret  things  to  God  belong. 

That  is  a  point  I  readily  concede. 
But  must  we  hence  infer  that  things  so  deep, 


120 

And  only  known  to  God,  are  ne'er  reveal'd? 

(For  if  reveal'd,  they  then  belong  to  us.) 

God  doubtless  doth  make  known  what  eye  ne'er  saw. 

What  ear  hath  never  heard,  nor  heart  conceive. 

From  wise  and  prudent  men,  who  scorn  to  learn 
Of  him  who  lowly  was,  God  much  conceals; 
But  to  his  own  the  secrets  of  his  heart  unfolds, 
And  shews  their  souls  the  cov'nant  of  his  love. 

'Tis  true,  the  sacred  page  of  holy  writ 
Dot))  never  name  the  men  whom  God  ordain'd 
Heirs  of  endless  life,  and  gave  his  equal  Son; 
And  whom  the  Son  in  mercy  did  accept — 
For  whom  he  liv'd — and  died — and  rose  again— 
And  for  whom  still  as  intercessor  lives. 
Yet,  is  a  work  of  grace  so  fair  impressed 
Upon  the  souls  of  men,  by  God,  that  he 
"Who  runs  may  read,  (if  he  has  eyes  to  see,) 
Upon  the  forehead  writ,  of  those  renew'd, 
These  are  the  heirs  of  life — the  heirs  of  God! 
The  image  and  the  superscription's  plain. 

Has  God  ordain'd  to  life  some  certain  men, 
The  fruit  of  everlasting  love  in  Christ? 
With  pow'r  divine,  (which  cannot  be  o'ercome) 
And  loving  kindness,  them  he  therefore  draws — 
Out  of  his  righteous  law,  their  souls  are  taught. 
And  sore  chastis'd  for  sin,  now  seen  and  felt: 
Then  having  heard,  and  of  the  Farher  learn'd 
That  they  are  vile,  and  he  is  just  and  good, 
They  come  to  Christ  his  Son,  as  by  the  Spirit  led; 
For  'tis  the  Spirit's  work,  men  to  convince  of  sin 
And  blinded  souls  to  lead  in  wavs  unknown. 


121 

To  make  gross  darkness  light,  that  sinners  lost 
May  know  themselves,  and  Christ  the  rock  embrace, 
And  shelter  find  in  him  from  wrath  to  come, 
And  Jesus  follow  in  that  hallow'd  way, 
Which  he  as  Lord  in  his  own  house  prescribed. 

Such  are  the  heirs  of  life. — By  God  belov'd, 
By  the  great  Son  redeem'd  from  endless  woe, 
And  by  the  Spirit  call'd  and  born  again; 
"Who  by  his  gracious  aid,  can  Abba,  Father,  say, 
And  live  a  life  the  carnal  cannot  live, 
A  life  of  faith  unfeign'd,  and  humble  pray'r, 
That  sin  may  be  subdu'd  and  self  deny  "d, 
And  Christ  be  honour'd  as  their  rightful  Lord, 
Whom  though  they  have  not  seen,  they  dearly  love, 
And  feel  him  precious  in  their  heart's  esteem, 
And  trust  his  promise  to  hold  on  their  way, 
(Though  Satan,  world,  and  flesh  combine  to  tempt, 
Corruptions  rise,  and  for  the  mast'ry  strive, 
And  faith  is  weak,  and  hope  almost  expires; 
But  faith  can't  die,  nor  can  their  hope  be  sham'd, 
For  Christ's  their  author,  object,  and  their  end.) 

Such  love  his  follow'rs  too,  as  fellow  heirs  of 
The  grace  of  life,  and  brethren  in  the  faith, 
The  faith  of  God's  elect,  more  precious  far 
Than  gold,  or  aught  on  earth  that  can  be  nam'd. 

These  are  the  heirs  of  life,  and  ne'er  can  die, 
So  spoke  the  Son  of  God:  ^The  man  that  lives 
And  in  me  doth  believe,  shall  never  die." 
(O  gracious  words  from  Jesus'  faithful  lips,) 
Conjointly  heirs  they  ate,  with  Christ  their  Lord. 

K  > 


122 

In  whom  their  life  is  hid  and  safely  kept; 

And  when  he  comes  they  with  him  shall  be  seen! 

These  blessed  truths,  the  theme  of  this  rude  son*, 
In  characters  of  gold,  are  worthy  to  be  writ, 
For  the  high  honors  of  a  triune  God, 
Ynd  safety  of  believing  souls,  are  there 
Deeply  involv'd,  and  gloriously  displayed, 
And  court  the  grateful  wonder  of  mankind. 
Such  know  and  love,  the  truths  that  made  them  free. 
And  wisdom's  ways  are  pleasantness  to  them, 
Who  love  the  saints,  and  with  them  cast  their  lot. 

With  their  hearts  plague,  such  well  acquainted  are, 
And  loathe  themselves  in  dust,  and  sin  abhor, 
Yet  sin  bemoan'd  remains,  and  struggles  hard  to  rule, 
But  grace  shall  reign,  the  God  of  grace  hath  said. 
Those  therefore  who  are  weak,  may  say  they're  strong. 
Strong  in  their  Lord,  and  in  his  pow'rful  might, 
And  strong  in  grace — the  grace  that  is  in  Christ, 
And  through  rich  grace,  shall  more  than  conq'rers  be! 

Whoe'er  thou  art  that  reads,  I  thee  entreat, 
With  deep  attention,  and  with  pray'r  too, 
These  outlines  well  to  weigh.— *Art  thou  the  man, 
lla>t  thou  by  God  been  taught,  to  know  thyself? 
And  do?stthou  trust  in  him,  who  died  to  save? 
Do'st  thou  him  love,  his  people  and  his  ways, 
(Though  he  and  his  are  both  despis'd  by  men. 
And  his  good  ways,  by  many  quite  forsook.) 
Do'st  thou  thyself  (more  than  all  men)  abhor/ 
(Mark  that,  my  friend,  'tis  worthy  your  regard, 
Some  who  their  neighbours  loathe,  themselves  admire! 
A?'d  say  stand  by,  presume  not  to  approach, 


12S 

Lest  you  my  holy  garments  should  defile, 

Their  hearts  with  pride,  and  self  complaisance  swoln; 

But  what  saith  God?  The  proud  I  do  abhor, 

And  their  proud  deeds  in  anger  will  reward; 

But  look  with  favour  on  the  broken  heart, 

And  dwell  with  him  in  love,  who  is  contrite, 

Ilia  spirit  to  revive,  and  broken  heart  to  bind.) 

But  to  return, — one  question  more  I  ask, 

Say,  dost  thou  strive  through  grace  to  follow  Christ, 

Through  evil  fame,  and  good  report,  and  pour 

Thy  humble  pray'r  to  him  for  help  against 

Thyself,  the  worst  of  all  thy  foes?  if  so, 

Thou  art  an  heir  of  life.     Thy  title's  clear. 

For  heirs  of  wrath,  (the  dead  in  sin  J  can't  move, 

Nor  feel,  nor  fear,  nor  love,  nor  strive  'gainst  sin, 

Nor  know  the  Shepherd's  voice,  nor  follow  him, 

No  more  than  corpses  from  their  graves  can  rise, 

Or  stop  the  progress  of  corruption  foul, 

No  more  than  man,  beneath  the  foaming  flood  can  live. 

Or  beasts,  with  the  aspiring  eagle  soar; 

No  more,  than  can  the  rampant  lion  fierce, 

Be  with  the  spider's    slender  web  enchain'd, 

Or  rocks  of  adamant,  of  bulk  immense, 

Be  with  a  flexile  feather  cleft  in  twain; 

No  more  than  tones  divinely  sweet,  can  charm 

(Though  wisely  sung.)  the  adder's  deafen'd  ear, 

Or  A  fries  sable  sons  their  colour  change, 

And  leopards  wild,  their  native  spots  expunge. 

Then  fear  ye  not,  ye  that  in  Zion  mourn, 
Your  lamentation  shall  to  joy  be  turn'd, 
Though  each  himself  despise.   God  hails  you  blest 
ds  of  immortal  life,  the  rightful  heirs! 


124 


But  O!  my  reader,  if  thou  a  stranger  art, 
To  this  good  work  of  grace  upon  thy  soul, 
Thou  art,  as  all,  alas!  by  nature  are, 
An  heir  of  wrath,  the  just  desert  of  sin. 
May  2Z<?,  who  can,  your  state  to  you  make  known,. 
Dispose  your  heart  his  counsel  to  regard, 
And  good  instruction  from  his  word  receive, 
That  in  your  latter  end  you  may  be  wise; 
But  to  be  wise,  thou  must  become  a  fool, 
Thy  wisdom  and  thy  righteousness  renounce, 
And  refuge  take  in  him,  who  died  for  sin, 
That  sinners,  chief  of  sinners,  might  be  sav'd. 

No  other  name  beneath  the  heav'ns  is  given, 
Whereby  a  sinner  must,  or  can  be  sav'd. 
Whoe'er  in  him  believes  from  wrath  is  free, 
But  he  that  don't  believe  must  die  the  death. 

Faith  doth  by  hearing  come;  then  hear  the  word 
And  dig  for  knowledge  as  for  treasure  hid; 
For  he  that  findeth  wisdom,  findeth  life, 
And  of  the  Lord  free  favour  doth  obtain, 
E'en  life  eternal,  as  his  sov'reign  gift, 
Through  Christ  his  Son,  the  Saviour  of  the  lost. 


THE  JOYFUL  SOUND, 

AND  THE  HAPPINESS   OF  THOSE  AVHO  KNOW  IT. 


Good  is  the  word  of  the  Lord.   Psa.  lxxxix.  15.  Isa.  xxxix.  8. 

Blest  are  the  favour'd  souls,  both  bond  and  free. 
Learned,  or  rude,  or  rich,  or  poor,  who  knuw 
(Not  those  who  hear  alone,  but  those  who  know) 


125 

The  glorious  gospel's  sweet  and  joyful  sound, 
Which  as  a  means  in  great  Jehovah's  hand, 
Sets  forth  the  Saviour  crucified  for  sin, 
And  liberty  proclaims  to  captive  souls. 
The  prison  opens  to  the  soul  that's  bound, 
And  health  and  cure  to  the  diseased  brings; 
That  binds  the  broken  heart  by  sin  oppress'd, 
And  comfort  speaks  to  all  who  mourn  for  sin; 
That  makes  the  spirit  glad  which  lowly  stoops, 
In  heaviness  extreme,  beneath  a  load  of  guilt, 
By  making  known  the  pardon  of  a  God. 
That  succours  tempted  souls,  when  oivn'dof  God, 
And  strengthens  feeble  knees,  and  lifts  the  hands 
And  drooping  head,  which  like  a  bulrush  bows, 
Oppress'd  with  sense  of  sin,  perceiv'd  and  felt. 

This  joyful  sound  the  word  of  truth  and  grace, 
The  wanderers  from  the  fold  of  Christ  reclaims, 
And  brings  them  back,  with  broken  hearts  and  bones, 
Heals  their  backslidings  foul,  and  God  reveals, 
As  slow  to  anger,  pard'ning  those  he  loves, 
Who  loathe  themselves  as  chief  of  sinners  vile. 
It  gives  assurance  to  the  man  who  feels 
The  plague  of  his  own  heart  (the  thorn  that  wounds) 
That  in  his  need,  the  grace  and  strength  of  Christ, 
Shall  be  sufficient  to  preserve  his  soul. 

Such  is  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  blessed  God: 
That  gospel  Christ  and  his  apostle's  preach'd, 
And  that,  which  ministers  of  Christ  still  preach? 
Good  news  to  guilty  men,  which  loud  proclaims 
The  Lord's  anointed  Son  as  Saviour  of  the  lost. 
Who  liv'd  despis'd  by  men,  and  died  to  save 
R2 


126 

That  chosen  flock,  which  to  his  charge  was  given: 

For  them  a  servant  he  became,  beneath 

His  Father's  righteous  law,  which  he  fulfill'd, 

And  bore  its  curse  upon  the  'cursed  tree; 

When  he  could  say,  as  none  beside  e'er  could, 

That  such  his  sorrows  were,  as  man  ne'er  felt, 

For  he  the  crimes  of  many  bore,  and  wrath 

Proportion'd  justly  to  their  dread  desert. 

And  made  an  open  shew  before  the  sun, 

Of  all  his  foes,  and  bow'd  his  head  in  death; 

But  speedy  rose  a  victor  o'er  the  grave, 

And  at  his  chariot  wheels  the  spoiler  dragg'd. 

And  reassum'd  his  ancient  rightful  throne. 

There  still  he  sits  in  majesty  divine, 

And  sways  his  sceptre  o'er  the  world  he  made, 

As  head  supreme,  o'er  all  things  to  the  church, 

That  he  might  life  eternal  give  to  all 

The  Father  chose,  and  gave  him  to  redeem 

From  ev'ry  evil,  with  his  precious  blood. 

O  may  this  gospel  far  and  wide  be  spread, 
And  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  confirm  the  same, 
That  faith  in  Jesus  may  by  hearing  come, 
And  chief  of  sinners  pass  from  death  to  life, 
And  ow,  and  to  him  live,  who  died  for  them, 
T  he  Just  and  Holy  One,  for  the  unjust. 

Thou,  Lord,  in  sov'reign  mercy  gave  the  word, 
Rich  with  the  blood  and  labours  of  thy  Son. 
0  let  the  number  it  proclaims  be  great, 
And  cause  them  to  and  fro  with  zeal  to  run, 
That  knowledge  of  thy  way  may  be  increas'd, 
Till  thy  salvation  shall  be  known  on  earth, 
E'en  from  the  rising  to  the  setting  sun. 


127 

0  teach  thy  servants  to  divide  thy  word.        j 
And  give  to  each  what  to  them  belong. 

So  shall  the  trumpet  give  a  certain  sound, 
And  men  be  waniM  to  flee  from  wrath  to  come, 
To  that  dear  man  (the  Lord  from  heav'n  who  is 
By  thee  set  forth,  a  hiding  place  from  storms, 
And  covert  from  the  tempest  of  thy  wrath, 
Who  bore  that  tempest  from  thy  vengeful  hand, 
In  body  and  in  soul  upon  the  cross. 

That,  and  that  only,  is  the  joyful  sound, 
Which  God  for  purposes  so  great  doth  own. 
And  only  they,  the  joyful  sound  do  know, 
Who  through  grace  nave  believ'd,and  so  believ'd. 
As  in  their  hearts  to  feel,  and  happily  possess, 
The  great  and  glorious  things  thus  briefly  sung. 
On  such  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  doth  rest, 
And  he  that's  blest  of  him  is  blest  indeed, 
And  shall  be  blest,  the  blessed  God  hath  said, 
With  ev'ry  good,  and  life  for  evermore. 
Thus  blest  are  they  who  know  the  joyful  sound. 

But,  O  my  soul,  if  they  alone  are  blest, 
Where  shall  the  sinner  and  ungodly  stand, 
From  whom  the  gospel  of  our  God  is  hid, 
Whose  minds  are  blinded,  and  whose  hearts 
Are  harden'd  by  the  god  of  this  vain  world, 
In  whose  rebellious  ways  destruction  is, 
And  misery  great,  foreboding  wrath  to  come, 
Who  never  knew  (in  truth)  the  way  of  peace, 
Nor  is  the  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes. 

If  suffer'd  thus  to  die,  alas!  my  soul, 


128 

They  cannot  stand  in  judgment,  God  hath  said. 
But  sink  they  must,  to  endless  shame  and  woe. 

But  stay  thy  hand,  thou  God  of  mercy  stay, 
Cut  not  the  fruitless  cumb'rers  down  in  wrath, 
But  speak  the  word  of  grace,  and  bid  them  live, 
And  that  blest  word  for  ever  shall  stand  fast, 
For  what  thou  do'st,  thou  it  for  ever  doth, 
Thy  will9  nor  love,  no  changes  ever  knew, 
And  therefore  'tis,  thy  saints  are  ne'er  consum'd, 
But  live  a  life,  as  endless  as  their  Lord!!.' 


A  SOLILOQUY, 

ON  THE    CRUCITIXION,  RESURRECTION,  AND  ASCEN- 
SION OF  CHRIST. 


»is  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he. — Prov.  xxiii.  7. 


Think  on  that  solemn,  solemn  day,  my  soul, 
When  God  his  glitt'ring  sword  of  justice  'woke 
Against  the  Shepherd  of  his  chosen  flock, 
(Which  in  his  soul  the  pains  of  hell  inhVd,) 
And  his  anointed  Son  in  wrath  cut  off! 

When  earth  convuls'd  to  its  deep  centre  quak'd. 
And  heav'n's  bright  orb  of  day  in  sackcloth  clad, 
Hid  his  resplendent  beams,  and  three  long  hours 
The  earth  in  gloomy  darkness  veit'd,  fasham'd 
To  view  the  horrid  deed,  when  wicked  men 
The  Saviour  slew,  and  hung  him  on  a  tree!) 
When  yawning  graves  gave  up  the  slumb'ring  dead, 
And  rocks  of  adamant  were  rent  in  twain, 
When  dire  amazement  seiz'd  the  priestly  tribe? 


129 

Appall'd  their  hearts,  and  turn'd  their  faces  pale. 
To  see  the  temple's  gorgeous  veil  untouch 'd 
By  mortal  hands,  from  top  to  bottom  rent! 

Think,  O  my  soul,  what  caus'd  that  tragic  scene, 
And  with  humility  and  shame  reflect 
'Twas  Sin!  that  fruitful  source  of  human  ills, 
Which  God  insulted  on  his  awful  throne, 
And  call'd  for  vengeance  on  the  guilty  race! 

But  think  again,  my  soul,  and  wond'ring  view, 
The  amazing  love  of  God  to  guilty  man. 
'Twas  wondrous  love! — He  spared  not  his  Son, 
But  freely  for  the  guilty  gave  him  up 
To  die  beneath  his  curse,  the  just  for  the  unjust! 
Herein  is  love — love  passing  thought  of  man, 
Not  that  we  loved  God,  but  He  lovd  us! 

My  soul  with  gratitude  unfeign'd  reflect 
On  him  who  left  (that  thou  might  never  die) 
His  inaccessible  high  throne  of  light, 
And  in  his  grace  immense,  though  rich,  became 
Abjectly  poor,  and  had  not  where  to  lay 
His  blessed  head,  though  he  had  all  things  made, 
And  angels  worshipp'd  him  as  Lord  of  all! 
This  was  his  right,  and  his  great  Father's  will! 
But  man  dar'd  to  despise,  and  to  reject, 
And  treat  the  Lord  with  scorn,  whom  heav'n  ador'di 

A  man  of  sorrows  he  became— -Sorrows 
Such  as  man  ne'er  knew,  and  with  grief  intense, 
From  God  and  man,  acquainted  was  his  soul. 
For  thus  the  prophet  spake:  -'It  pleas'd  the  Lovd  to  bruise 


J  30 

And  put  his  spotless  soul  to  grief  profound," 

To  make  his  life  an  offering  for  sin, 

Though  sin,  nor  guile,  was  never  found  in  HimJ 

To  men  who  pluck'd  the  hair,  he  gave  his  cheek, 
From  spitting  and  from  shame,  his  sacred  face 
He  never  hid,  and  to  the  smiters  gave  his  back, 
Who  plough'd  (in  wrath)  long  furrows  there,  and  deep. 
And  in  their  malice  shed  his  precious  blood! 

0  love  unsearchable,  than  death  more  strong, 
Which  floods  of  wrath  immense  could  never  drown! 

The  law  he  magnified,  and  bore  its  curse, 
FinishM  transgression  thus,  and  made  an  end 
Of  sin,  and  for  lost  man's  iniquity 
Reconciliation  made,  and  brought  in 
A  righteousness  as  lasting  as  his  throne, 
AVith  which  the  Eternal  Father  is  well  pleas'd. 
In  which  believing  souls  are  justified! 

Solomon  the  wise,  hath  truly  said,  "as 
In  his  heart  man  thinketh,  e'en  so  he  is." 
Whether  (of  Christ)  his  thoughts  be  good  or  ill. 
Then  think  again,  my  soul,  and  think  in  faith, 
That  he  who  died  upon  the  accursed  tree, 
And  spoiled  principalities  and  pow'rs, 
Soon  burst  the  barriers  of  the  greedy  grave, 
And  sprang  victorious  from  the  gates  of  death. 
Thus  prov'd  himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God, 
With  pow'r  to  give,  and  take  his  life  again, 
To  save  from  sin  and  hell  his  chosen  seed! 


131 

What  shall  I  render, O  my  soul,  to  God 
Who  £ave  his  Sou;  and  to  the  Son  who  died 
(To  save  from  wrath  to  come,  so  vile  a  worm;) 
And  to  the  Spirit  ever  blest,  who  doth, 
The  Father  and  the  Son,  to  men  reveal, 
One  dying/or,  the  other  pard'ning  sin, 
O  may  I  loue^  with  heart,  and  mind,  and  strength, 
And  yield  obedience  uniform  and  free, 
In  newness  of  the  Spirit,  as  a  Son. 

Again,  my  soul,  thy  risen  Saviour  trace, 
In  contemplation  sweet  (as  aided  by 
The  inspir'd  page)  through  all  the  various  steps 
That  led  from  misery  supreme,  to  that 
Blest  height,  where  thrones  and  heav'nly  pow'rs, 
Are  subject  to  his  sway!  The  Son  of  God, 
With  pow'r  declar'd,  (by  rising  from  the  dead) 
His  high  commands  to  his  apostles  gave, 
To  go  into  the  world,  and  freely  give, 
What  they  from  him,  so  freely  had  receiv'd, 
To  preach  his  glorious  gospel,  and  baptize 
In  the  great  name  of  the  great  sacred  Three, 
And  teach  poor  sinners  sav'd,  what  to  observe. 

As  sheep  'mongst  rav'nous  wolves,  he  sent  them  forth 
Be  wise  (he  said)  as  subtle  serpents  are, 
And  harmless  as  the  faithful  turtle-dove, 
And  lo!  (the  omnipresent  Saviour  said,) 
I  with  you  present  am,  in  all  your  straits; 
As  sun  and  shield  always,  till  time  shall  end! 

Thus  having  said,  the  Saviour  God  went  up, 
With  sound  of  trump,  in  majesty  divine, 


132 

To  his  high  throne,  (forerunner  of  his  church) 
In  sight  of  his  astonish'd,  favour'd  friends. 

Captive  he  led  in  chains  his  vanquish'd  foes, 
And  gifts  receiv'd  for  poor  rebellious  men, 
That  God  the  Lord  might  with  them  ever  dwell! 
O  think,  my  soul,  on  grace  so  rich,  so  free, 
So  sov'reign,  suitable,  and  undeserved. 

Her  everlasting  gates  heavn  open'd  wide, 
And  him  receiv'd  with  high  acclaim,  as  King 
Of  kings,  the  Lord  of  Hosts  in  battle  strong. 

Then  rang  those  hapoy  realms  with  hallelujahs  loud, 
To  him  wholiv'd  despis'd,  and  died  to  save. 
Who  soon  will  re-appear  to  judge  the  world, 
And  crown  with  righteousness  divine,  all  those 
(Of  ev'ry  name)  who  his  appearing  love! 

Come  quickly,  come  dear  friend  of  sinners  lost, 
And  thou,  my  soul,  cleave  to  thy  Lord  in  faith, 
And  laud  him  Lord  of  all,  thy  only  hope, 
The  first,  the  last,  God  ever  blest,  Amen! 


CONCLUSION. 


And  now,  my  reader  kind,  if  truth  you  know. 
And  truth  hath  made  you  free,  one  boon  I  ask: 
Beseech  with  me,  the  Spirit  of  our  God, 
The  truths  I've  feebly  wrote  to  own, 
That  men  with  one  accord  may  Christ  confess, 
God  over  all,  for  ever  bless'd,  Amen. 


is: 


The  first,  the  last,  eternally  the  same, 
The  omnipresent  and  omniscient  God, 
All  potent  too,  who  to  the  utmost  saves 
In  righteousness  he  speaks,  and  travels  in 
The  greatness  of  his  strength,  mighty  to  save, 
Thus  speaks  the  prophet  of  the  Lord:   Behold! 
With  arm  weii  fit  to  role,  and  hand  of  might, 
The  Lord  our  God  will  soon  appear!  (to  save 
His  own,  and  crush  his  stubborn  foes)  his  work 
Before  him  is,  and  with  him  too,  his 'great 
Reward:  He  like  a  shepherd  good,  shall  feed 
His  purchas'd  flock,  the  price  of  his  own  blood: 
(The  Almighty  Father's  sovereign  gift  of  love!) 
He'll  kindly  gather  in  his  arms  the  iambs, 
And  bear  them  near  his  heart,  from  harm  secure! 
With  care,  and  gentleness  divine  he'll  lead 
Those  of  his  flock  belov'd,  who  are  with  young, 
As  to  himself  most  dear,  and  he  to  them. 
(For  love  of  God  made  known,  doth  love  produce. 
lie  lov'd  us  first,  (said  John,)  and  we  love  him! 
Creator  he  of  all  that  lives,  or  moves, 
And  all  at  rest,  (if  such  his  works  contain) 
In  heaven,  or  earth,  or  in  the  deep  profound, 
Who  all  things  doth  uphold,  and  governs  well 
The  complicated  works  of  his  own  hands, 
Which  to  his  glory  tend,  who  made  them  all. 
Where  his  eternal  pow'r  is  clearly  seen, 
For  light  ineffable  proclaims  the  God, 
Who  on  his  works  has  writ  his  glorious  name! 
And  left  rebellious  man  without  excuse, 
Who  do  not  him  confess,  the  Mighty  God, 
And  worship  give  in  spirit  and  in  truth, 
As  thou,  Almighty  Father,  hast  ordain'd! 
To  those,  who  warn'd  of  God  his  judgments  see, 
And  seek  from  wrath  deserv'd  a  safe  retreat. 
To  such  a  hiding  place  he  is  from  storms. 
M 


134 

From  tempest  dire,  a  covert  sure,  and  shade 
Of  rocks  stupendous,  in  a  weary  land, 
And  in  a  place  that's  dry,  as  rivers  full 
Of  water,  cooling  to  the  thirsty  soul. 

But  some,  through  unbelief,  make  him  a  rock 
Of  great  offence:  and  on  that  stumbling  stone, 
In  blindness  fall,  and  crush  their  souls  to  death! 
So  righteous  Father,  in  thy  awful  sight, 
In  mercy,  and  in  wrath,  it  seemed  good, 
Thy  truth  to  hide  from  men  inflate  with  pride. 
And  unto  babes  in  grace  reveal  thv  son! 

Next  may  the  Spirit  of  unerring  truth 
Teach  saints  to  know  God's  love  is  like  himself, 
Which  knows  no  end,  unchangeably  the  same. 
From  hell  Christ  did  redeem  those  whom  of  old 
He  lov'd;  and  whom  in  time  from  sin  he  calls, 
To  know  his  name,  and  put  their  trust  in  him. 
And  live  his  praise  before  the  sens  of  men; 
Who  though  they  oft  offend,  he  never  leaves 
But  visits  with  a  rod,  and  makes  them  mourn, 
And  loathe  themselves,  for  all  the  ills  they've  done, 
So  grace,  free  grace  divine,  triumphant  reigns 
Through  righteousness,  unto  eternal  life, 
(The  sov'reign  gift  of  God  as  death's  the  fruit  of  sin) 
By  Christ  the  Lord,  who  liv'd,  and  dy'd,  and  rose! 

Nor  shall  the  gates  of  hell  find  cause  to  boast, 
That  to  their  wish  their  malice  hath  prevail'd, 
Vgainst  the  flock  of  Christ!  He  lives,  and  they, 
Who  by  him  were  redeem'dand  call'd,  shall  live. 
Himself  hath  said;  nor  can  his  word  e'er  fail! 
I  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  Jehovah  said, 
From  Egypt's  land  of  darkness  and  of  toil, 
My  purpose  is,  that  you  no  God  but  me 
Shall  know;  for  none  but  me  a  Saviour  is! 


155 


Vet  will  God  his  honor  Tindicate  and  shew 
That  sin  he  hates,  though  in  a  Son  most  dear, 
And  pleasant  child,  as  Ephraim  of  old. 
But  while  he  hates  their  sins,  he  will  not  give 
His  foes  their  will,  nor  banish  those  he  loves. 
Repentance  kindles,  and  his  bowels  move, 
And  earnestly  he  doth  remember  those 
'Gainst  whom  he  speaks,  and  their  backslidings  heals- 

Such  are  the  ways  of  God!  so  far  above 
The  ways  of  men;  e'en  those  who  know  his  name, 
Who  oft  through  pride,  unknowing  of  themselves, 
Self  will'd,  and  emulous  of  human  praise*, 
(Regardless  of  his  will,  who  says,  forgive, 
Restore,  and  to  your  arms  receive,  and  love 
Confirm;  as  I,  for  sake  of  him  who  died, 
Have  done!) — they  say,  stand  by,  we  holier  are 
Than  thou,  and  scorn  to  own,  as  one  of  them 
The  soul  once  fall-n,  though  now  restor'd  and  heal'd. 
And  all  to  feed  the  pride  of  prudes,  or  men 
Who  little  know  of  God,  or  of  his  gracious  ways, 
But  show  too  plain,  (though  unawares  I  hope,) 
Their  tender  mercies  cruel,  like  th>  unjust; 
But  thanks  unfeign'd,  and  praise  to  God  is  due, 
All  are  not  thus;  there  are,  and  not  a  few, 
Whose  bosoms  with  compassion  burn,  to  those 
Whom  grace  immense,  recalls  from  ways  of  sin, 
Such  honor  God,  and  not  disgrace  themselves! 

Once  more  with  me  entreat,  ye  friends  of  truth, 
That  Zion's  King,  w ould  own  my  last  essay, 
That  humble  subjects  of  his  grace  may  learn, 
(From  him  who  taught,  as  none  beside  e'er  did) 
To  see  his  will,  in  his  appointments  wise, 
And  be  baptiz'd,  as  those  who  have  believ'd, 
And  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  good  indeed! 


136 

One  Lord,  one  Faith,  and  one  Baptism  thus. 

Through  grace  receivM,  they  love,  possess,  and  own, 

And  like  their  Lord,  all  righteousness  fulfil^ 

And  as  he  strength  affords  him  glorify, 

To  put  to  silence  those  who  evil  speak, 

of  his  good  ways,  the  ways  of  truth  and  grace. 

Thus  own'd  of  God,  my  efforts  can't  be  vain, 
Nor  labour  lost,  in  Jesus'  righteous  cause. 
Tho'  some  with  high  disdain,  incds'd  in  steel 
And  adamant,  my  feeble  strokes  may  scorn, 
And  in  their  rampant  pride,  snuff  up  the  wind 
Of  pestilential  errors  poisonous  breath, 
And  set  their  mouths  'gainst  heav'ns  eternal  Kin-! 
1  ill  he,  or  in  his  mercy,  or  his  wrath, 
Their  rebel  souls  subdue  beneath  his  feet. 

All  knees  to  him  must  bow — all  tongues  confess, 
That  he  is  Lord  of  all  his  hands  have  made, 
To  his  high  glory,  who  hath  thus  decreed, 
And  set  him  King  of  kings,  on  Zion's  hill! 
Ye  sons  of  men  be  wise  and  kiss  the  Son, 
Lest  haply  ye  his  kindled  wrath  should  (eel, 
And  perish  from  his  ways,  beneath  his  rod. 
Thrice  bless'd  are  they,  by  grace,  who  in  him  trust. 
And  on  him  live,  devoted  to  his  will. 

O  may  the  author  of  these  broken  thoughts, 
And  all  who  read  the  same,  or  love  the  truths 
Therein  contain'd,  be  guided  in  his  strength. 
(Through  evil  fame,  and  good  report,)  unto 
Kis  holy  habitation  in  the  skies, 
His  blissful  face  in  righteousness  to  see, 
And  bear  his  likeness,  fully  satisfied, 
And  God,  through  endless  days,  be  all  in  all! 


To  those  who  have  read  the  preceding  page.' 


Pkrmtit  me,  my  reader,  at  the  close  of  this  little, 
but,  I  hope,  not  unimportant  work,  inasmuch  ns  it 
treats  of  things  relating  to,  and  inseparably  connect- 
ed with  the  never  dying  soul:  and  what  shall  it  profit 
a  man  if  he  gain  the  world  and  lose  it?  verily  nothing: 
per  (it  me  then,  I  say,  respectfully  and  affectionately 
to  ask  you,  what  have  been  your  feelings  and  reflec- 
tions on  the  perusal  of  the  foregoing  pages?  Have 
they  been  of  that  nature,  as  to  make  self  and  sin  more 
loathsome,  and  Christ  Jesus,  the  Lamb  of  God,  who 
died  the  just,  for  the  unjust,  and  in  whom  all  the  pro- 
mises of  God  are  yea  and  Amen,  more  precious,  or  at 
least,  more  desirable?  The  judgment  of  my  readers 
will  be  very  various,  no  doubt.  Some,  it  is  feared, 
will  treat  what  has  been  advanced  with  scorn,  as,  in 
all  probability,  they  do  the  word  of  God  itself,  from 
whence  my  various  matter  is  drawn.  The  plainness 
of  its  dress — the  want  of  those  fascinating  embellish- 
ments, that  the  wisdom  of  this  world  furnishes,  offends 
what  they  vainly  consider  their  refined,  but  which  is, 
in  truth,  their  vitiated  taste.  A  precious  Saviour  has 
always  been  disallowed  of  men,  though  chosen  of  God, 
and  precious  to  him  that  believes,  and  the  ti;uth  of 
God,  and  the  ordinances  of  God,  and  the  people  of 
God,  and  every  thing  that  does,  in  truth,  belong  to 
the  spiritual  kingdom  of  Christ  Jesus,  has  always 
been  lightly  esteemed  by  men  dead  in  sin,  but  whatever, 
under  a  shew  of  religion,  is  of  man's  device,  is  palat- 
able to  men.  And  such  would  do  well  to  consider, 
that  he  who  scorns  the  truth,  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  must 
bear  his  burden.     If  such,  like  Pilate,  should  say, 


138 

W hat  is  truth?  I  will  answer  in  the  language  of  the 
inimitable  Cowper — 

"What's  that  which  brings  contempt  upon  a  book 
And  him  who  writes  it? 


Tell  me — and  1  will  tell  thee  what  is  truth. 

Others  of  my  readers,  whose  minds  are  blinded  with 
error  and  prejudice,  by  the  agency  of  Satan,  "the  God 
of  this  world" — 2  Cor.  iv.4. — shut  their  eyes  against 
the  light,  like  the  moles  and  the  bats,  when  involun- 
tarily brought  before  the  splendor  of  the  meridian 
sun,  and  the  shafts  of  truth,  (though  drawn  from  the 
quiver  of  God,)  being  thrown  by  such  a  feeble  hand, 
rebound  from  their  adamantine  hearts,  as  the  blunted 
spear  from  the  impenetrable  shield  of  Achilles,  or 
scales  of  leviathan — but  whoever  hates  and  shuns  the 
light,  is  in  imminent  danger  of  stumbling  on  the  dark 
mountains — Jer.  xiii.  16. — and  whoever  mocks  at 
God  and  truth,  is  in  danger  of  having  his  bonds  made 
strong — Isa.  xxvi.  2£.  But  I  would  fain  hope,  that 
he  who  opens  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  and  breaks  the 
obdurate  heart,  may  in  some  happy  instances  bring 
down  the  proud  looks  of  the  scorner,  and  cause  the 
blind,  (who  grope  for  the  wall  at  noon  day — Isa.  lix. 
10.)  to  see  out  of  obscurity  and  out  of  darkness,  and 
whenever  such  see  a  little,  though  only  men  (as  it 
were)  as  trees  walking,  they  will  covet  more,  and  pray: 
O  Lord,  open  thou  mine  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  the 
wonders  of  thy  word — happy  men,  who  from  the 
heart  so  pray^-they  will  not  abide  in  darkness,  for 
the  Lord  leadeth  the  blind  by  away  that  they  know- 
not,  and  makes  darkness  light  before  them — Isa. 
xlii.  16. — and  to  accomplish  such  glorious  ends,  I 
feel  happily  persuaded,  that  no  instrument  or  n  cans 
can  be  weak  in  His  hands,  who  ordaineth  strength 
(even)  in  the  mouth  of  bahes,  to  perfect  praise,  and 
still  the  enemy  and  the  avenger. — Ps.  viii.  9. 


139 

At  any  rate,  I  hope,  that  through  an  unction  from 
the  Holy  One,  poor  sinners,  under  the  awakening  in- 
fluence of  the  Spirit  of  God,  will  find  something  in 
these  pages,  that  will  say  to  them  (as  an  index  point- 
ing to  him  who  died  without  the  gate)  this  is  the  way, 
walk  ye  in  it — and  which  may  encourage  them  to 
"Stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  God." 

"Stand  still,  says  one,  that's  easy  sure, 

' Tis  what  1  always  do: 
Mistaken  soul,  be  notdeceiv'd, 

This  is  not  meant  for  yuu. 

"Not  driv'n  by  fear,  nor  drawn  by  love. 

Nor  yet  by  duty  led, 
Lie  still  you  do,  and  never  move, 

For  who  can  move  that's  dead. 

"But  for  a  living  soul  to  stand, 

By  thousand  dangers  scar'd, 
And  fell  destruction  close  at  hand, 

0  that  indeed  is  hard."  Hart. 

And  while  I  would  cherish  a  hope,  that  such  cha- 
racters as  I  have  already  named,  may  be  benefited  by 
what  they  are  here  presented  with,  I  would  also  hope, 
that  such  as  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious, 
who  may  condescend  to  peruse  my  treatment  of  the 
foregoing  subjects,  whatever  may  be  their  exercises, 
or  present  state  of  mind,  whether  on  Pisgah's  mount, 
or  in  the  valley  of  humiliation,  or  if  so  unhappy  as 
to  be  in  the  ditch,  where  their  own  clothes  abhor 
them,  I  hope  I  say,  that  they  may  find  good.  I  am 
fully  persuaded,  that  however  feeble  the  execution  of 
this  little  work,  there  is  something  that  is  suited  to 
most  cases,  that  each  may  have  their  portion  in  sea= 
son,  through  the  good  will  of  him,  whose  blessing 
maketh  rich,  and  addeth  no  sorrow  therewith.  I  hope 
therefore  that  these  efforts  of  my  pen  (though  feeble) 
will  not  be  in  vain;  but  that  hereby  a  dear  and  almigh- 


14'J 

I 


ty  Redeemer  may  appear  with  new  charms,  as  "the 
chiefest  often  thousand  and  altog<  ther  Imply,  Gain 
has  never  been  my  object;  but  to  do  s*ood  by  the  pro- 
mulgation oi'  divine  truth.  And  al{ho'  the  diction  of 
this  little  production  may  not  to  some  be  the  most 
pleasing,  being  homely,  yet  it  may  be  I  he  most  pronto- 
able;  "words  easy  to  he  understood,  ace  certainly  the 
best  words  to  convey  religious  truths  in,  For  "to  the  noor 
the  gospel  is  preached,"  and  for  them  aiso  it  is  wrote. 

No  pretensions  are  here  urged  to  any  thing  beyond 
theological  correctness,  at  least,  that  approximation  to 
correctness  which,  while  it  solicits  a  friendly  correc- 
tion, challengeth  a  hostile  refutation,. 

As  to  the  poetic  pieces,  (if  they  will  bear  such  an 
appellation)  1  will  only  say  the  same  as  of  the  prose, 
that  they  contain  scriptural  ideas,  gospel  truths,  and 
sound  experience,  anil  like  the  prose,  have  afforded 
me  both  pleasure  and  profit  in  the  composition,  and 
my  hope  is.  that  my  readers  may  reap  the  same  ad- 
vantage; and  in  that  hope  I  will  close,  with  a  few 
lines  of  the  truly  excellent  and  well  instructed  Mr. 
Hart,  of  whom  his  biographer  has  truly  said,  "He 
preached  Evangelical  truths  practically,  and  practi- 
cal truths  Evangelically." 

"And  now  the  work  is  done, 
"Without  much  pains  or  cost, 
The  authors  merit  none. 
And  therefore  none  his  boast; 
He  only  claims  vvhate'ers  amiss* 
Alas!  how  great  a  share  is  his. 

"Some  time  it  took  to  beat, 

And  hunt  for  tinkling  sound, 

But  th*  rich  savory  meet 

Was  very  quickly  found: 

For  ev'ry  truly  christian  thought, 

Was  by  the  God  of  Jacob  brought." 

Even  so,  Jimen^ 


FINIS. 


*1- 


